A member of Israel’s War Cabinet says that only a cease-fire deal can win the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Gadi Eisenkot added that those claiming hostages can be freed through military pressure were spreading illusions.
The former army chief ‘s comments, broadcast on Israel’s Channel 12 television station late Thursday, were the latest sign of a growing rift among political and military leaders over the direction of Israel’s war on Hamas.
Across the Gaza Strip, Hamas militants are putting up stiff resistance. The conflict, now in its fourth month and showing no sign of ending, has also inflamed tensions across the Middle East.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 24,400 Palestinians have died, and the United Nations says a quarter of the 2.3 million people trapped in Gaza are starving. In Israel, around 1,200 people were killed during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that sparked the war and saw some 250 people taken hostage by militants.
Currently:
— EU Parliament adopts a resolution calling for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, but says Hamas must go.
— Mexico and Chile ask International Criminal Court to investigate possible crimes in Gaza.
Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. Credit: AP/Fatima Shbair
— Snubbed by Netanyahu, the Red Cross toes a fine line trying to help civilians in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
— Another Turkish soccer club ends its contract with an Israeli player over his posting on Gaza hostages.
— Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
Here’s the latest:
Palestinians mourn their relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, outside a morgue in Rafah, southern Gaza, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. Credit: AP/Fatima Shbair
A MEMBER OF ISRAEL’S WAR CABINET SAYS ONLY A CEASE-FIRE DEAL CAN BRING HOSTAGES HOME
JERUSALEM — A member of Israel’s War Cabinet said that only a cease-fire deal can win…
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