Israel and Hamas continue to advance in talks to deliver vital medicine to hostages held in Gaza as part of talks to increase more humanitarian aid for Palestinian refugees, Qatari negotiators said.
With more than 130 hostages still being held in Gaza, loved ones have cried out about the lack of medicine many of their relatives may have suffered after being abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7.
Daniel Lifshitz, the grandson of hostage Oded Lifshitz, 83, said family members of the hostages had met with Qatari officials to advocate for cancer and diabetes drugs to be sent to their relatives, The New York Times reported.
Lifshitz said that he was worried about his grandfather’s health since he had been in captivity for almost 100 days, with most of the elderly and sick hostages not having access to their daily medication.
“The fact that so many hostages have been denied the medicine they need is a death sentence,” he said. “They should receive what they need on day one.”
The families and supporters of those detained in Gaza continue to call on Israel to do everything possible to guarantee their well-being and release them. Getty Images An Israeli tank was moved along southern Gaza on Thursday. Reuters
Qatar, which is negotiating peace talks between Israel and Hamas, said the two sides were actively discussing what kind of medicine would be needed and how to deliver it to the hostages.
Husam Badran, a senior Hamas official, stated that the discussion about the drug delivery was met “with great positivity,” the Times reported.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has urged Hamas to allow its medics to treat and assess the hostages, but Israel has repeatedly accused the health organization of not pushing hard enough to help those detained.
Families say that many of the elderly and sick hostages have now gone more than three months without their regular medication. ABIR SULTAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Along with aid to the hostages, Israel and Hamas also appear committed to allowing more humanitarian aid efforts to reach Palestinian refugees, as nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced by the war.
White House National Security spokesman John Kirby told reporters Thursday that the situation in Gaza was dire after incoming aid trucks were surrounded by refugees desperate for food and basic supplies.
“We recognize that there is a real food security issue in Gaza,” Kirby said. “We understand there is a lot of hunger and starvation in Gaza.
“There are not enough trucks coming in, we are not satisfied with that level now,” he added.
Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have been blamed for hitting aid trucks and supply routes for Palestinian refugees. AFP via Getty Images
Israel said it would coordinate to help more aid reach Gaza and insisted that the lack of aid was the fault of the United Nations for allegedly failing to deploy enough workers to distribute supplies.
Humanitarian groups have blamed Israeli bombing for damaging aid vehicles and supply routes, which the Jewish State denies.
Although talks on aid for Palestinian hostages and refugees continued, simultaneous talks on freeing the hostages were fruitless.
An aid truck stops along the Gaza border as fighting continues in the southern part of the enclave. Reuters
Israeli and Hamas officials are now mulling a deal allegedly proposed by Qatari negotiators that would see hostages released in exchange for the terror group’s leader being permanently expelled from Gaza.
The agreement will also call for Israel to end its war campaign and withdraw completely from the Peninsula, according to local Channel 13 News.
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The potential deal is expected to face opposition from both sides, as Hamas says no hostages will be released until Israel frees every Palestinian in its prisons.
Meanwhile, Israel’s leaders have reiterated that the war in Gaza will not end until Hamas and its terrorist activities are completely destroyed.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
