Israel is in danger of becoming isolated, German foreign minister warns
'Israel must always find friends, partners and supporters in the international community. And that is currently in danger in this situation. And if there is one country that has a responsibility to prevent this, then in my view it is Germany,' Wadephul told reporters on a trip to Israel.
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Asharq Al-Awsat
32 minutes ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Israel PM Says in ‘Profound Shock' over Hostage Videos
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with relatives of two hostages held in Gaza seen in videos released by Palestinian armed groups, expressing his "profound shock" over the images, his office said. Since Thursday, Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have released three clips showing two hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. The images of Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David, looking emaciated after nearly 22 months of captivity, have sparked strong reactions among Israelis, fueling renewed calls to reach a truce and hostage release deal without delay. "The prime minister expressed profound shock over the materials distributed by the terror organizations Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and told the families that the efforts to return all our hostages are ongoing, and will continue constantly and relentlessly," said a statement from Netanyahu's office released late Saturday. Earlier in the day, tens of thousands of people had rallied in the coastal hub of Tel Aviv to urge Netanyahu's government to secure the release of the remaining hostages. In the footage shared by the Palestinian groups, 21-year-old Braslavski, a German-Israeli dual national, and 24-year-old David both appear weak and malnourished. The videos make references to the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, where UN-mandated experts have warned a "famine is unfolding". Israeli newspapers dedicated their front pages on Sunday to the plight of the hostages, with Maariv decrying "hell in Gaza" and Yedioth Ahronoth showing a "malnourished, emaciated and desperate" David. Right-wing daily Israel Hayom said that Hamas's "cruelty knows no bounds", while left-leaning Haaretz declared that "Netanyahu is in no rush" to rescue the captives. Netanyahu, according to his office, spoke "at length" with Braslavski and David's families on Saturday, decrying "the cruelty of Hamas". He accused the group of "deliberately starving our hostages" and documenting them "in a cynical and evil manner". Israel, meanwhile, "is allowing the entry of humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza", Netanyahu said. Reiterating Israel's stance that it was not to blame for the humanitarian crisis, Netanyahu said "the terrorists of Hamas are deliberately starving the residents of the Strip" by preventing them from receiving the aid that enters Gaza. The Israeli premier, who has faced mounting international pressure to halt the war, called on "the entire world" to take a stand against what he called "the criminal Nazi abuse perpetrated by the Hamas terror organization". Braslavski and David are among 49 hostages seized during Hamas's 2023 attack who are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Most of the 251 hostages taken in the attack have been released during two short-lived truces in the war, some in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli custody. The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed at least 60,430 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, deemed reliable by the UN. Israel has heavily restricted the entry of aid into Gaza, already under blockade for 15 years before the ongoing war. Overnight from Saturday to Sunday, air raid sirens sounded in Israeli communities near the Gaza border, with the military saying that "a projectile that was launched from the southern Gaza Strip was most likely intercepted".
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Israel PM says in ‘profound shock' over hostage videos
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with relatives of two hostages held in Gaza seen in videos released by Palestinian militant groups, expressing his 'profound shock' over the images, his office Thursday, Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have released three clips showing two hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in images of Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David, looking emaciated after nearly 22 months of captivity, have sparked strong reactions among Israelis, fueling renewed calls to reach a truce and hostage release deal without delay.'The prime minister expressed profound shock over the materials distributed by the terror organizations Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and told the families that the efforts to return all our hostages are ongoing, and will continue constantly and relentlessly,' said a statement from Netanyahu's office released late in the day, tens of thousands of people had rallied in the coastal hub of Tel Aviv to urge Netanyahu's government to secure the release of the remaining the footage shared by the Palestinian Islamist groups, 21-year-old Braslavski, a German-Israeli dual national, and 24-year-old David both appear weak and videos make references to the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, where UN-mandated experts have warned a 'famine is unfolding.'Israeli newspapers dedicated their front pages on Sunday to the plight of the hostages, with Maariv decrying 'hell in Gaza' and Yedioth Ahronoth showing a 'malnourished, emaciated and desperate' daily Israel Hayom said that Hamas's 'cruelty knows no bounds,' while left-leaning Haaretz declared that 'Netanyahu is in no rush' to rescue the according to his office, spoke 'at length' with Braslavski and David's families on Saturday, decrying 'the cruelty of Hamas.'He accused the group of 'deliberately starving our hostages' and documenting them 'in a cynical and evil manner.'Israel, meanwhile, 'is allowing the entry of humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza,' Netanyahu Israel's stance that it was not to blame for the humanitarian crisis, Netanyahu said 'the terrorists of Hamas are deliberately starving the residents of the Strip' by preventing them from receiving the aid that enters Israeli premier, who has faced mounting international pressure to halt the war, called on 'the entire world' to take a stand against what he called 'the criminal Nazi abuse perpetrated by the Hamas terror organization.'Braslavski and David are among 49 hostages seized during Hamas's 2023 attack who are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are of the 251 hostages taken in the attack have been released during two short-lived truces in the war, some in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official campaign in Gaza has killed at least 60,430 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, deemed reliable by the has heavily restricted the entry of aid into Gaza, already under blockade for 15 years before the ongoing from Saturday to Sunday, air raid sirens sounded in Israeli communities near the Gaza border, with the military saying that 'a projectile that was launched from the southern Gaza Strip was most likely intercepted.'
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
US envoy Witkoff tells Israeli hostage families he is working on plan to end Gaza war
US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy told families of hostages being held by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday that he was working with the Israeli government on a plan that would effectively end the war in Gaza. Trump has made ending the conflict a major priority of his administration, though negotiations have faltered. Steve Witkoff is visiting Israel as its government faces mounting pressure over the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the enclave. For the latest updates on the Israel-Palestine conflict, visit our dedicated page. In a recording of the meeting, reviewed by Reuters, Witkoff is heard saying: 'We have a very, very good plan that we're working on collectively with the Israeli government, with Prime Minister Netanyahu ... for the reconstruction of Gaza. That effectively means the end of the war.' The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his remarks. Witkoff also said that Hamas was prepared to disarm in order to end the war, though the group has repeatedly said it will not lay down its weapons. In response, Hamas, which has dominated Gaza since 2007 but has been militarily battered by Israel in the war, said it would not relinquish 'armed resistance' unless an 'independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital' was established. Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza war and deal for the release of half the hostages ended last week in deadlock. On Saturday, Hamas released its second video in two days of Israeli hostage Evyatar David. In it, David, skeletally thin, is shown digging a hole, which, he says in the video, is for his own grave. 'They are on the absolute brink of death,' David's brother Ilay said at a rally in support of the hostages in Tel Aviv, where thousands gathered holding posters of those in captivity and chanted for their immediate release. 'In the current unimaginable condition, they may have only days left to live.' Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar said the 'world cannot remain silent in the face of the difficult images that are the result of deliberate sadistic abuse of the hostages, which also includes starvation.' Witkoff, who arrived in Israel with Benjamin Netanyahu's government facing a global outcry over the devastation in Gaza and the starvation growing among its 2.2 million people, met the prime minister on Thursday. Afterwards, a senior Israeli official said an understanding between Israel and Washington was emerging that there was a need to move from a plan to release some of the hostages to a plan to release all the hostages, disarm Hamas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip, echoing Israel's key demands for ending the war. Gaza starvation On Tuesday, Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating ceasefire efforts, endorsed a declaration by France and Saudi Arabia outlining steps toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As part of it, they said Hamas must hand over its arms to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. The crisis in Gaza has also prompted a string of Western powers to announce they may recognize a Palestinian state. On Friday, Witkoff visited a US-backed aid operation in southern Gaza, which the United Nations has partly blamed for deadly conditions in the enclave, saying he sought to get food and other aid to people there. Dozens have died of malnutrition in recent weeks after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March to May, according to Gaza's health ministry. It said on Saturday that it had recorded seven more fatalities, including a child, since Friday. Israel blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza and says it is taking steps for more aid to reach its population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, air drops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. UN agencies have said that airdrops of food are insufficient and that Israel must let in far more aid by land and quickly ease the access to it. The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostage in an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
