Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a long security meeting with military leaders to discuss the ongoing Gaza campaign. According to a post from his official X account, the meeting lasted over three hours and included a presentation by the IDF Chief-of-Staff outlining several military options. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a three-hour security discussion today, in which options for proceeding with the campaign in Gaza were presented by the IDF Chief-of-Staff. The IDF is prepared to carry out any decision made by the Security Cabinet," the post read.
As the war continues, Netanyahu has called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide urgent food and medical help to Israeli captives held by Hamas in Gaza. Speaking on Sunday, he said he had requested the ICRC’s "immediate involvement" in assisting the hostages, after disturbing videos surfaced of two Israeli captives appearing severely malnourished.
Hamas replied through the Qassam Brigades’ spokesperson Abu Obeida, rejecting the accusation of starving hostages. Abu Obeida claimed, Israeli captives “eat what our fighters and all our people eat” and will “not receive any special privilege amid the crime of starvation and siege.”
However, he added that Hamas is “ready to act positively and respond to any request from the Red Cross to deliver food and medicine to enemy prisoners.” He also urged the opening of humanitarian corridors and a halt to Israeli attacks during aid deliveries to ensure food and medicine reach all Gaza residents.
The International Committee of the Red Cross expressed deep concern after seeing the footage of the captives, calling it "harrowing." The organization reiterated its demand for access to the hostages, stating, “These videos are stark evidence of the life-threatening conditions in which the hostages are being held.”
It added that families of the captives were "horrified and heartbroken" by what they saw, and emphasized that cooperation from all sides is necessary for humanitarian access.
The ICRC also revealed that it hasn’t been able to visit any Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons since October 7, 2023.
In a separate statement, the ICRC condemned the death of a Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) worker, who was killed in a clearly marked PRCS building in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The PRCS accused Israeli forces of carrying out the deadly attack, according to Al Jazeera.
Families of those still held captive in Gaza have voiced frustration with Netanyahu’s focus on a military solution, warning that it puts the lives of the hostages at greater risk. They released a joint statement saying, “For 22 months, the public has been sold the illusion that military pressure will bring back the hostages, and today, even before reaching a comprehensive draft agreement, it is said that an agreement is futile.”
The families said the hostages are facing starvation and death in underground tunnels and urged for a realistic and humane approach.
While humanitarian needs grow, Israeli authorities allowed only 36 aid trucks to enter Gaza on Saturday, despite over 22,000 trucks waiting at the border with vital food and medical supplies, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.
The UN office in Geneva also raised alarm, stating on X: “One million. That's how many women and girls are starving in Gaza. This horrific situation is unacceptable and must end. We continue to demand the delivery of lifesaving aid for all women and girls, an immediate ceasefire, and the release of all hostages.”
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that at least 175 people, including 93 children, have died due to forced starvation. Among them was 17-year-old Atef Abu Khater, who weighed only 25 kg (55 lbs) when he died on Saturday an example of the growing humanitarian disaster in the region.
Also Read: Israel Shifts Gaza Aid Strategy: Local Merchants Take Over as UN Access Shrinks
