Israeli military: 31 hostages in the Gaza Strip are dead

Shocking news for the relatives of the hostages in the Gaza Strip: According to the army, 31 of the 136 Israelis held are no longer alive. “We have informed 31 families that their captured relatives are no longer among the living and that we have declared them dead,” Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said. He did not provide any further details.

Meanwhile, despite negotiations between Hamas and the Israeli government over a new hostage deal, there is no sign of a ceasefire. “There is still much work to be done, but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and indeed essential,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday after Hamas responded to a proposal.

IDF targets Rafah

US President Joe Biden viewed Hamas’ response as “a bit exaggerated” without being more specific. Qatar appeared “optimistic” after the Hamas letter. Blinken said Hamas’ response would be discussed with the Israeli government on Wednesday. The core of the proposal developed by the USA, Israel, Egypt and Qatar is the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip in return for a long pause in fighting. So far, Hamas has insisted on a permanent end to the fighting, while Israel’s war aim is the destruction of the radical Islamic organization.

The fighting in the Gaza Strip is now concentrated in Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south of the region. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people have fled there. The Israeli military said Rafah was a stronghold of Hamas militants. Israel had already announced last week that it would advance into the border town. This has fueled concerns among international aid organizations, who point to hundreds of thousands of refugees who have sought protection there. An Israeli government official told Reuters that efforts were underway to coordinate a ground attack on Rafah with Egypt. This also includes plans to evacuate displaced Palestinians.