Israel’s army says it has found several bodies during an operation in the Gaza Strip. “At this time, troops are still deployed in the area and are conducting a process to recover and identify the bodies, which will take several hours,” the military said on social media.
It was initially unclear whether the bodies were Israeli hostages. The army called on the public in a statement to refrain from spreading rumors. There had previously been rumors on social media that hostages had been found.
Relatives of hostages take to the streets again
Thousands of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv and other places in Israel in the evening for an agreement to release the hostages from the Islamist Hamas and for new elections. After the discovery of the bodies became known, representatives of the hostages said, according to media reports: “Netanyahu has abandoned the hostages. Starting tomorrow, the country will shake, the public is called upon to prepare.”
Relatives of the hostages sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting in front of the Israeli army headquarters in Tel Aviv. “Netanyahu and his partners in the cabinet have decided to torpedo the Philadelphia Corridor ceasefire agreement, thereby knowingly condemning the hostages to death,” said a statement read out by the relatives.
Mediation talks so far without breakthrough
The mediation talks between Israel and the Islamist Hamas in Cairo, which are being held by the USA, Egypt and Qatar, have been at a standstill for some time. The main point of contention is the question of how long Israeli troops can remain stationed in the Gaza Strip, particularly in the Philadelphia Corridor on the border with Egypt. Israel’s security cabinet recently decided to maintain control over the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
Critics – including Defense Minister Joav Galant – fear that the detention could prevent the hostages from being released because Hamas will not agree to Israeli control of the Philadelphia Corridor. Galant criticized Netanyahu during the meeting.
The mother of a Hamas hostage described Netanyahu’s insistence on control of the Philadelphia Corridor as a “crime against the people, against the State of Israel and against Zionism.” “Netanyahu is not Mr. Security, but Mr. Death,” she said. Netanyahu had often described himself as Mr. Security, who, unlike his political opponents, was the only one who could ensure Israel’s security.
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