GAZA/HEBRON: Israel announced on Sunday that its forces had recovered six dead hostages from an underground tunnel in the Rafah area of southern Gaza, while the Israeli military continued large-scale military operations in the occupied West Bank.
The six hostages—Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, US-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, and Russian-Israeli Alexander Lobanov—were identified by Israeli authorities. According to military spokesperson Daniel Hagari, they were held hostage on October 7 by Hamas fighters.
US President Joe Biden expressed deep sorrow and outrage over the deaths. Biden also voiced cautious optimism about the potential for a ceasefire and a negotiated deal for hostage releases, with his administration, alongside Qatar and Egypt, working towards a truce. “It’s time this war ended”, said Biden.
Hamas had held 251 persons hostages on October 7, with 97 still believed to be in captivity. During a one-week truce in November, several hostages were released. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum criticized the delays and complications in mediation efforts, suggesting that the hostages might still be alive if not for these issues.
A senior Hamas official said that some of the hostages were slated for release in a potential prisoner swap, although a final agreement has not been reached. This claim has been denied by the Israeli military, which attributes the deaths to Hamas actions rather than Israeli violence.
In Gaza, the humanitarian situation remains dire. Israel has been conducting extensive air and ground operations since October 7, resulting in significant casualties. According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israeli bombardments have killed at least 40,738 Palestinians, mostly women and children. The UN rights office corroborates that most of the deceased are civilians.
The conflict has devastated Gaza’s infrastructure, causing widespread displacement and triggering a severe humanitarian crisis. The ongoing Israeli violence has devastated Gaza and repeatedly displaced most of its 2.4 million people. Essential services, including water, sanitation, and medical facilities, have been severely affected, exacerbating the spread of preventable diseases.
In response to a recent polio outbreak, Israel agreed to “humanitarian pauses” to allow a vaccination campaign targeting approximately 640,000 Palestinian children in Gaza. The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised this initiative, which began on Saturday with vaccinations being administered at health centers in central Gaza.
On Sunday, the vaccination campaign commenced amidst ongoing Israeli violence. Reports indicate that Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City resulted in additional casualties, with at least two people killed and artillery shelling continuing in the area.
Meanwhile, violence has surged in the West Bank, where Israeli forces have been conducting large-scale raids since Wednesday. The raids, particularly intense around Hebron and Jenin, have resulted in at least 22 Palestinian deaths.
On Sunday, in the northern West Bank, Israeli bulldozers entered Jenin’s city centre, a day after a local official said soldiers had destroyed most of the streets while power and water had been cut off in the adjacent refugee camp.
The Jordanian Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, criticized Israel for its actions in the West Bank, calling for an end to what he described as “bloody aggression.” He said that “Israel alone is responsible for the dangerous escalation”.
The United Nations reports that since October 7, Israeli military actions and settler violence in the West Bank have resulted in the deaths of at least 637 Palestinians.
