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Jaishankar Meets Palestinian Counterpart, Discusses Gaza

External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar has reiterated India’s support for a two-state solution and also exchanged views on humanitarian and political dimensions

On the sidelines of the NAM summit in Uganda, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki on Saturday and held a comprehensive discussion on the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

In conversation with the Palestinian leader, EAM reiterated India’s support for a two-state solution and also exchanged views on humanitarian and political dimensions

Taking to X, EAM shared about his meeting with the leader saying, “Good to meet with Palestinian FM Dr. Riyad al-Maliki in Kampala this afternoon. Had a detailed and comprehensive discussion on the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Exchanged views on its humanitarian and political dimensions. Reiterated India’s support for a two-state solution. Agreed to remain in touch.”

Earlier today, EAM Jaishankar called on Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Ugandan capital, Kampala.

“Pleased to call on Sri Lankan President @RW_UNP on the sidelines of the NAM Summit in Kampala,” Jaishankar posted from his official X handle on Saturday.

Jaishankar called on Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Ugandan capital, Kampala.

“Appreciate his continued guidance for the advancement of our bilateral initiatives. India’s commitment is reflected in our Neighbourhood First and SAGAR policy,” the EAM added.

In a series of bilateral meetings and engagements at the ongoing NAM summit in Uganda, Jaishankar met with his counterparts from Bolivia, Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Serbia and Behrain on Friday.

In his meetings with the leaders, Jaishankar exchanged views on regional and global issues and discussed bilateral relations.

The EAM also called on Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and held discussions on ongoing developments in the region.

“Always good to meet Bahraini FM Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. Discussed ongoing developments in the region,” Jaishankar posted from his X handle.

Jaishankar also called on Bahrain's Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani

Jaishankar also shared the key takeaways from his meeting with the Venezuelan FM saying, “Good meeting with Venezuelan FM @yvangil. Discussed our economic, energy and development cooperation. Exchanged views on regional and global issues.”

During a sit-down with his Azerbaijan counterpart, EAM Jaishankar discussed bilateral relations and regional matters.

He also held a meeting with Bolivian Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa Lunda, with the discussions centering around cooperation in the development and traditional medicine.

The EAM also shared glimpses from the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit, which commenced here on Friday.

The External Affairs Minister has been holding meetings with various foreign dignitaries at the two-day summit.

Jaishankar is leading the Indian delegation at the SuThe 19th NAM Summit under Uganda’s leadership. The event this year, themed on ‘Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence’, has brought together delegates from more than 120 developing countries on a platform of crucial historic significance.

The NAM is a forum of 120 countries not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.

India wholeheartedly supports Uganda’s theme for NAM and looks forward to engaging with the countries in the bloc, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement earlier, adding that as one of the leading and founding members of NAM, India remains committed to the principles and values of the movement.

In Kampala, Jaishankar also met Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer, with the two leaders exchanging views on the ongoing high-level discussions on the withdrawal of Indian military personnel. They held further discussions to expedite the completion of ongoing development projects in the Maldives and cooperation within SAARC and NAM.

Jaishankar also met Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer

Jaishankar also called on Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio and held discussions on the expanding collaboration between the two countries as well as the broader India-Africa cooperation.

“Good meeting with Angolan FM @amb_tete. Discussed the expanding India-Angola and India-Africa cooperation. Also spoke about cooperation in multilateral fora. Thanked him for extending visa-free arrangement for Indian nationals,” Jaishankar posted from his X handle. (ANI)

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23,469 Lives Lost in Gaza

Since the war erupted in Gaza on October 7, 2023, a total of 59,604 people have been injured….reports Asian Lite News

Amid the unabated fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the death toll in the besieged enclave increased to 23,469 on Friday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

According to the Ministry, at least 112 Palestinians were killed in the last 24 hours, contributing to the overall death toll, while 194 people were also injured.

Of the total casualties, some 70 per cent are said to be women and children, the Ministry said in its latest situation update.

Since the war erupted in Gaza on October 7, 2023, a total of 59,604 people have been injured.

Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qedra said 6,200 people among the overall injured were in urgent need to receive treatment outside Gaza.

“The situation in hospitals in the southern Gaza Strip is extremely catastrophic as a result of overcrowding with the wounded and tens of thousands of displaced people,” he noted.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15 out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functional.

Hospitals are facing challenges such as a shortage of medical staff, including specialised surgeons, neurosurgeons, and intensive care staff, as well as a lack of medical supplies, and have an urgent need for fuel, food, and drinking water.

The nine partially functional hospitals in the south are operating at three times their capacity, while facing critical shortages of basic supplies and fuel.

According to the Health Ministry, occupancy rates are reaching 206 per cent in inpatient departments and 250 per cent in intensive care units.

Meanwhile, Al-Qedra also called on UN institutions to intervene urgently “to provide water, food and shelter to the displaced before a catastrophe occurs, the consequences of which cannot be tolerated”.

Between January 1-11, only 21 per cent (5 of 24) of planned aid deliveries of food, medicines, water, and other lifesaving supplies to the north of Wadi Gaza proceeded, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

As of this month, 1.9 million people, or nearly 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza, were estimated to be internally displaced, including many who have been displaced multiple times, says the UN Refugee Agency.

ALSO READ: ‘UK public overwhelmingly back Gaza ceasefire’

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UN Aid Chief Declares Gaza ‘Uninhabitable’

Tens of thousands of people, mostly women and children, have been killed or injured during the attacks….reports Asian Lite News

Emphasising that three months have passed since the horrific October 7 attacks, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said that Gaza has become “uninhabitable” and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly women and children, have been killed or injured during the attacks.

Moreover, families are sleeping in the open as temperatures plummet, Griffiths stressed.

“Gaza has simply become uninhabitable. Its people are witnessing daily threats to their very existence while the world watches on,” he said.

Additionally, public health disasters are unfolding as infectious diseases are spreading in overcrowded shelters as sewers spill over.

Moreover, the areas where civilians were told to relocate for their safety have come under bombardment.

Adding that medical facilities are under relentless attack, he said, “The few hospitals that are partially functional are overwhelmed with trauma cases, critically short of all supplies, and inundated by desperate people seeking safety.”

Furthermore, some 180 Palestinian women are giving birth daily amidst this chaos and people are facing the highest levels of food insecurity ever recorded.

“Famine is around the corner,” Griffiths added.

Emphasising the ongoing situation of war-torn children, he said that the past 12 weeks have been traumatic for them.

“No food. No water. No school. Nothing but the terrifying sounds of war, day in and day out,” he said.

“We continue to demand an immediate end to the war, not just for the people of Gaza and its threatened neighbours, but for the generations to come who will never forget these 90 days of hell and of assaults on the most basic precepts of humanity,” he emphasised.

The humanitarian community has been left with the impossible mission of supporting over 2 million people, even as its own staff are being killed and displaced, as communication blackouts continue, as roads are damaged and convoys are shot at, and as commercial supplies vital to survival are almost non-existent.

He further noted that the rocket attacks on Israel continue, and over 120 people are still being held hostage in Gaza.

Adding to this, he said that tensions in the West Bank are boiling, and the spectre of further regional spillover of the war is looming dangerously close.

“Hope has never been more elusive. Gaza has shown us the worst of humanity, as well as moments of great heroism,” he pointed out.

We have seen how violence cannot resolve differences but only inflame passions and build new generations of danger and insecurity, Griffiths said.

It is time for the parties to meet all their obligations under international law, including protecting civilians and meeting their essential needs, and to release all hostages immediately.

“It is time for the international community to use all its influence to make this happen,” he emphasised.

Griffiths said, “This war should never have started. But it’s long past time for it to end.” (ANI)

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Gaza’s Kids in Crisis: UNICEF Highlights Nutrition Emergency

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has said that most of the children and pregnant women in the Gaza Strip are not able to meet their basic nutrition needs.

A survey conducted by the UN body UNICEF found that 90 per cent of children under age 2 are eating two or fewer food groups daily, mainly bread or milk.

The survey also said that a quarter of pregnant women were having only one-time meal per day.

UN officials said that Israel has been conducting extended checks on the aid vehicles at Rafah crossings and that this along with heavy shelling has led to delays in supply of the aid materials.

UN officials had earlier said that one in four Gazans were enduring famine-like levels of starvation.

According to UNICEF, cases of diarrhoea among children under 5 have risen from 48,000 to 71,000 which is a “clear indication of poor nutrition”.

The officials also said that only 2,000 cases of diarrhoea were earlier reported each month in the Gaza Strip.

However, Israeli authorities said that there is enough food in the territory and that they have taken the necessary steps to allow aid. They also blamed the UN agencies for any shortage of food items.

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UAE FM, UN Chief Discuss Gaza Humanitarian Situation

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan stressed the importance of strengthening the international community’s efforts to end extremism…reports Asian Lite News

UAE Foreign Minister H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed developments in the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and their humanitarian repercussions on a call with António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan stressed the importance of strengthening the international community’s efforts to end extremism, tensions, and escalating violence in the region. He also stressed the need to protect all civilian lives.

GENEVA, April 3, 2018 (Xinhua) — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a speech during the High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen at Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, April 3, 2018. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres applauded Tuesday international pledges of more than 2 billion U.S. dollars in 2018 for the three-year-old crisis in Yemen. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan/IANS)

His Highness also stressed the importance of strengthening the humanitarian response to the needs of the people of Gaza and ensuring the safe and sustainable delivery of relief and medical aid to them.

The Secretary-General said that he sent a letter on the situation in Gaza to the President of the UN Security Council on 6th December 2023 invoking Article 99 of the UN Charter. Article 99 allows the Secretary-General to alert the Council about any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.

His Highness praised the Secretary-General’s efforts and informed him that the UAE will submit a draft resolution in the Security Council to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. The resolution will be submitted with the support of the Arab Group and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

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UN Human Rights Chief Alarms on ‘Atrocity Crimes’ in Gaza

Turk addressed the reports of sexual violence committed by Hamas, which he said he took extremely seriously…reports Asian Lite News

The UN’s Human Rights Chief, Volker Turk, expressed that Palestinians are enduring an “increasing, profound horror,” as reported by the media.

Turk was speaking in Geneva, where he told journalists that in the conflict in Gaza there was a heightened risk of “atrocity crimes,” BBC reported.

He also warned both Israel and Hamas leaders against what he said were “dehumanising statements” which could be seen by a competent court as “incitement to atrocity crimes”.

Turk also addressed the reports of sexual violence committed by Hamas, which he said he took extremely seriously,

They must be investigated, he added, because the victims must get justice, BBC reported.

He revealed that he had written to the Israeli government in the second week of October, offering to deploy a team of UN human rights monitors to investigate the attacks on Israel.

He said he had yet to receive an answer, but still hoped for a response.

Israel has traditionally refused to cooperate with UN human rights investigators, claiming they are biased, BBC reported.

Israel’s relationship with international organisations like the UN and the ICRC has worsened recently, amid claims by Israel that they are neglecting the suffering of Israelis in the Hamas attack, and sensitivity from Israel over aid agencies’ vocal concerns about the conduct of the war in Gaza.

This week Israel said it would not renew the visa of the Resident UN humanitarian coordinator in the occupied Palestinian territories, because it had lost trust in her.

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Truce Extends As Hostage Swap Continues

Israel says it is willing to continue the ceasefire “as long as Hamas continues to release hostages”….reports Asian Lite News

Just minutes before it was set to expire, the Israeli military on Thursday announced that an agreement was reached to extend the humanitarian truce in Gaza for a seventh day. Thursday’s extension is the second of the initial four-day truce that commenced on November 24.

The original four-day truce in Gaza which was first implemented on November 24 and extended for two more days on Tuesday. It was set to expire at 7 a.m. local time on Thursday.

In a brief statement, the military said: “In light of the mediators’ efforts to continue the process of releasing the hostages and subject to the terms of the framework, the operational pause will continue.”

Hamas also confirmed the extension of the truce for a seventh day in a statement. Since the start of the pause, 210 Palestinians, 70 Israelis, and 24 foreign nationals have reportedly been released.

On Wednesday — the sixth day of the truce — 16 more hostages were released from Gaza, comprising 10 Israelis, four Thai nationals and two Israeli-Russians. Also in the day, 30 Palestinians were also freed from Israeli jails.

‘Truce Will Extend Everyday As Long As..’

Ahead of the military’s announcement, Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Thursday said the humanitarian truce in Gaza will extend for every day the Hamas militant group releases 10 “living” hostages.

“Every day, we agreed to an extension for the release of 10 hostages, 10 living hostages… If Hamas continues to release hostages, 10 a day, we will extend the hold — the pause.”

When asked if the fighting would resume within the next 24 hours, Regev told CNN that “if Hamas fails to meet the conditions of the extension, which is to release 10 Israelis, then of course the fighting can be resumed”.

According to the senior advisor, there were are still at least 140 hostages inside Gaza. He went on to say that the Jewish nation accepted the current agreement of a humanitarian pause “to get our hostages out, that could be extended each day for a day”.

Asked about negotiations on any further agreements, Regev told CNN: “This is a humanitarian pause in our fight against Hamas, Israel is determined to destroy Hamas’ military machine and its rule over Gaza.

“We are not going to play games with the lives of our people… Hamas knows what the parameters of the deal are.”

UAE Welcomes Truce Extension

The UAE has welcomed the announcement to extend the humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip by two days, and the continued exchange of detainees between the Palestinians and Israel, expressing hope this development leads to a permanent ceasefire.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) commended the efforts of the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the United States, to extend the humanitarian pause, allowing for the exchange of hostages, detainees, and captives, and the delivery of relief aid and humanitarian assistance. The Ministry expressed its aspirations for the agreement to expedite an end to the crisis and prevent further suffering for the brotherly Palestinian people.

Furthermore, the Ministry expressed its hope that this step will facilitate the immediate, safe, sustainable, and unhindered delivery of relief and humanitarian aid, particularly to the most vulnerable groups, including the sick, children, the elderly, and women.

The UAE stresses the importance of returning to negotiations to achieve the two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The UAE will continue working alongside the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to intensify efforts aimed at providing the needed support and assistance to the endeavours aiming to alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Gaza.

MBZ, Biden Hold Talks

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed bilateral relations and regional developments during a telephone conversation with his US counterpart Joe Biden.

The call underscored the significance of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in mobilising global cooperation to forge effective solutions to the climate crisis, ensuring a sustainable future for all nations.

The two leaders also reviewed the latest developments in the Palestinian territories, and reaffirmed the importance of maintaining a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and establishing lasting and secure mechanisms for delivering humanitarian aid to its residents without hindrance.

They also underscored the imperative of charting a course towards a comprehensive, just, and enduring peace in the Middle East region, with the two-state solution serving as the cornerstone for realising regional security, stability, and peace.

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Elon Musk Invited to Witness Gaza’s Reality

A senior Hamas official, Osama Hamdan, extended an invitation to Musk during a press conference held in Beirut on Tuesday….reports Asian Lite News

Following Elon Musk’s visit to Israel, the tech billionaire has now been invited by Hamas to Gaza to witness the destruction of the besieged enclave territory under Israeli attacks.

According to The Guardian, Musk was invited by a senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan, during a press conference in Beirut on Tuesday.

“We invite him to visit Gaza to see the extent of the massacres and destruction committed against the people of Gaza, in compliance with the standards of objectivity and credibility,” Hamdan said.

However, in response to a post about the news inviting him, Musk stated that the situation “seems a bit dangerous there right now.”

“Seems a bit dangerous there right now, but I do believe that a long-term prosperous Gaza is good for all sides,” he wrote on X.

Musk on Monday visited the Kfar Aza in Israel, which was one of the first places to be attacked by the Hamas militant group when it launched its unprecedented attack on October 7.

More than 1,200 people have died in Israel, while over 200 others were taken as hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accompanied him to the residence of Ofir Liebstein, who fought back and died while fighting Hamas.

Musk has been severely criticised for anti-Semitic content on X in recent weeks. He also came under rising fire for supposed failures to combat antisemitism on X.

US President Joe Biden’s administration recently slammed Musk of repeating a “hideous lie” about Jewish people, as the X owner continues to endorse far-right viewpoints and agrees with posts that promote antisemitism.

Musk replied to a post sharing an antisemitic conspiracy theory, calling it “actual truth”.

He responded to a conspiracy theory that motivated the man who killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018.

ALSO READ: WHO Chief Alerts Gaza’s Disease Danger

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4-Day Gaza Truce Begins

At least 200 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, including four fuel trucks, will be allowed into the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire….reports Asian Lite News

A four-day humanitarian pause deal agreed by Israel and Hamas came into effect in Gaza on Friday, which allow the release of at least 50 hostages in the duration of the temporary ceasefire.

The pause in hostilities, which began at 7 a.m. (local time), came on the 49th day of the Israel-Hamas war which erupted on October 7 after the militant group launched its unprecedented attack on the Jewish nation.

Under the deal reached on Wednesday under the mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the US, the Hamas said that it will release about 13 hostages at 4 p.m. on Friday as the first stage of the agreement, reports Xinhua news agency.

Hamas, which has been ruling Gaza since 2007, will hand over the hostages to Egypt. In turn, Israel will release 150 Palestinians, including women and children, from the Israeli jails. Israel is expected to stop all its military operations in the Gaza Strip as part of the four-day pause.

Meanwhile, at least 200 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, including four fuel trucks, will be allowed into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire will also facilitate the reopening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt to allow the return of stranded Palestinians waiting in the Arish area, according to the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo.

Israel has notified the families of the hostages set to be released on Friday, the country’s coordinator for hostages and missing persons, Gal Hirsch, said in a statement. Hirsch said “liaison officers have informed all of those families whose loved ones appear on the list, as well as all of the hostages’ families”.

Israel has published a list of 300 names of people eligible for release in the exchange. The vast majority are male teenagers aged between 16 to 18, although a handful are as young as 14. The first hostages expected to be released will include members of the same families leaving together, Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said in a news conference earlier Thursday.

“They will be 13 in number, all women and children, and those hostages who are from the same family will be put together in the same batch,” CNN quoted Al-Ansari as saying. The Israeli army said it was ready to implement the ceasefire, but warned Hamas that “even the slightest violation would result in a severe response”.

The ceasefire was originally due to start on Thursday but was delayed as the two sides were finalising the details of hostage release. According to the Israeli authorities, 235 people are held captive in Gaza, including Israelis and foreign nationals. About 40 of them are reportedly children.

So far, four civilian hostages have been released by Hamas; one Israeli soldier was rescued by Israeli forces; and three bodies of hostages have reportedly been retrieved by Israeli forces. Since the war started, more than 14,800 people have died in Gaza, over 1,200 in Israel and 223 in the West Bank.

Fuel, Aid Trucks to Enter Gaza

In a breakthrough agreement, Egypt announced the daily entry of 200 trucks carrying humanitarian aid, a total of 1,30,000 litres of diesel, and four trucks of gas into the Gaza Strip during the pause.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said that that 80 aid trucks carrying food, water, medical equipment, medications, and relief supplies entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Thursday.

A large aid convoy is positioned at the Egypt-Gaza border, ready to move into the strip immediately after the truce between Israel and Hamas begins, an official told CNN.

The entry of fuel was allowed in the besieged enclave on November 18, following approval by Israel’s war cabinet to facilitate regular deliveries to the besieged enclave.

Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said that the fuel would support desalination facilities providing water to the southern strip. The oversight of this process is led by the United States and Egypt.

The decision taken earlier allowed two fuel tankers a day to enter Gaza, providing essential support to the water and sewage systems on the verge of collapse due to a lack of electricity.

The decision was made in consultation with the Israel Defence Forces and Israel’s International Security Academy, ensuring it aligns with operational objectives and does not support Hamas, as clarified by Hanegbi.

The rationale behind the decision was framed within the context of avoiding the spread of pandemics, acknowledging the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

In addition to the aid trucks, 75,000 litres of fuel reached Gaza from Egypt on Thursday, aligning with Israel’s November 18 decision to permit two fuel trucks daily. This is intended to support food distribution, hospital generators, water and sanitation facilities, shelters, and other critical services, according to UNOCHA.

The fuel situation has been a key focus of recent discussions, including those with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv earlier this month. The move to allow fuel deliveries comes after weeks of pressure from the US, CNN reported.

ALSO READ: Gaza Death Toll Surges to 14,800 as Humanitarian Pause Begins

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Gaza’s Grim Reality: UNICEF Names It Most Dangerous for Kids

During the October 7 Hamas offensive into Israel, there were more than 1,200 deaths of Israeli citizens, with over 240 people being taken hostage….reports Asian Lite News

Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund has identified the Gaza Strip as the world’s most perilous location for children.

“More than 5,300 Palestinian children have been reportedly killed in just 46 days … That’s over 115 a day, every day, for weeks and weeks,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a video on Wednesday while addressing the UN Security Council.

“Based on these figures, children account for 40 per cent of the deaths in Gaza,” she added.

“This is unprecedented. In other words, the Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child,” Russell continued.

During the October 7 Hamas offensive into Israel, there were more than 1,200 deaths of Israeli citizens, with over 240 people being taken hostage.

Alternatively, the retaliatory attack on Gaza by the Israel Defence Forces has resulted in the deaths of over 12,000 Palestinians, so far, reported CNN.

Russel added that UNICEF has received reports that “more than 1,200 children” are expected to still be trapped under the rubble of bombed-out buildings after Israel’s targeted attack, as well as many children unaccounted for.

The comments come a week after Russell’s visit to Gaza. In a statement following her visit, she described “grave violations” being committed against children, including “killing, maiming, abductions, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access.”

A ceasefire deal was announced on Tuesday morning, whereby 50 hostages of the some 200 taken during the October 7 attacks in exchange for a ceasefire, which will enable crucial humanitarian aid to enter the area and assist in-need Palestinian civilians and children.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement on Wednesday, confirming roughly 50 hostages abducted by the Hamas terror group in Gaza during the October 7 attack, will be released, reported The Times of Israel.

Similarly, the US President, taking to his social media X, declared that he was glad the deal was secured, adding that he was grateful that the hostages will be reunited with their families.”I welcome the deal to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its brutal assault against Israel on October 7.”

The number of child deaths significantly dwarfs those of similar conflicts, including in Ukraine, 5,403 Palestinian children have died so far in the Gaza conflict whilst 83 have been killed in the Ukraine war. (ANI)

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