Although a new round of negotiations on a ceasefire and the release of more hostages in the Gaza war has apparently not yet achieved a breakthrough, the Israeli army believes it is following in the footsteps of the Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip.
The night at a glance:
The Israeli army appears to be hot on Al-Sinwar’s heels
The military released a video Tuesday evening showing Jihia al-Sinwar and family members allegedly escaping into an underground Hamas tunnel.
Al-Sinware is a Palestinian politician and since 2017 one of the leaders of the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip. He is considered the de facto ruler of the Gaza Strip.
The video released by the Israeli army was recorded on October 10 – three days after the start of the Gaza war – by a surveillance camera in one of the Hamas tunnels, it was said.. In the short shot, a man can be seen from behind walking through the tunnel section captured on camera, whose silhouette resembles that of Al-Sinwar. According to the military, the other people seen are Al-Sinwar’s wife and children. The only person visible from the front is said to be Al-Sinwar’s brother Ibrahim.
The Israeli military said he lived with his family and some of his fighters in the tunnel section under the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis, which has been disputed for weeks as the war raged above them.
A short video of a tour of the suspected hideout was also released. In it, an Israeli soldier shows a room where Al-Sinwar lived, including a safe full of notes in Israeli and American money worth millions. The complex also included toilets and showers, a kitchen where supplies would have been kept for a long time, and a room for bodyguards with weapons and ammunition.
Al-Sinwar and his people “ran away” when they heard that the Israeli army was approaching. “We are determined to get him and we will do so,” the Israeli military spokesman said.
The authenticity of the video could not initially be independently confirmed. It would show how the Hamas warlord and his relatives are currently “on the run”, it was said. It doesn’t look like there’s any rush, though.
The chief of the general staff rules out an early end to the war
Israeli Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi has ruled out an early end to the war. “Our military results are excellent”he said at a press conference on Tuesday evening. “But there is still a long way to go before we can achieve the war goals.”
To get closer to this, he says,… Hamas leadership around Al-Sinwar is eliminated and more Islamic militia commanders and fighters are killed.
The more than 130 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas must regain their freedom. Palestinian civilians who have fled, hundreds of thousands of whom are currently crammed into the city of Rafah on the southern side of the Gaza Strip, should be able to return to safety. The Israeli army is currently planning an offensive against the city bordering Egypt and wants to evacuate civilians there.
Talks about a new ceasefire continue
Meanwhile, efforts for a new ceasefire and an exchange of more hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israel continue. Top representatives from the US, Israel, Qatar and Egypt were able to do this on Tuesday during a meeting in Cairo could not reach an agreement, but had agreed to extend the talks for three daysthe New York Times reported, citing an unnamed Egyptian official.
Hamas representatives did not participate in the talks in Cairo.
The tenor of the discussions was “positive”. They should now be continued by lower-level officials, it was said. The Times of Israel newspaper also reported an extension of the negotiations.
The Israeli delegation, led by Mossad secret service chief David Barnea, has left Cairo again, the Israeli newspaper reported on Wednesday evening, citing a representative from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. There is said to still be a gap between the positions of both sides in the conflict regarding the duration of a possible ceasefire and the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released for each hostage released.The Wall Street Journal newspaper reports this based on Egyptian officials.
Israel without new offer
Israel called Hamas’ conditions during the Cairo talks unrealistic.
Mossad chief Barnea had met there the day before with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and CIA intelligence chief William Burns. The Israeli delegation was there to “listen” to the talks in Cairo. No new offer was made in Cairo, the Times of Israel newspaper reported. During a week-long ceasefire in November last year, 105 hostages were released in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners. Egypt, Qatar and the US had already mediated this ceasefire.
There are currently 134 people in Hamas custody, but Israeli estimates say at least 30 of them are no longer alive. According to media reports, the number of deaths could now be as many as 50.
What will be important on Wednesday
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visits Israel again. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the focus should be on the political path towards a new humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, in order to create a timeframe for the release of additional hostages and negotiations for a lasting ceasefire . The difficult humanitarian situation in Rafah and the Gaza Strip as a whole will also be addressed. Meanwhile, talks between the mediating states on a new ceasefire in Cairo will continue. (sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
