The administration of the current president of US Joe Biden expects to tighten sanctions and take other measures against the radical Palestinian movement Hamas to free the hostages it is holding, White House National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Sean Advice.
Commenting on a video message released by Hamas from a US-Israeli hostage named Eden Alexander, the spokesman said the US administration was “in contact” with his family. He outlined a version according to which “the war in the Gaza Strip will end tomorrow if Hamas agrees to release the hostages”, noting that the radicals “refuse to do that”.
„The deal is on the table. President Biden and the United States will continue to work tirelessly to secure the release of our citizens, including through diplomacy and increasing pressure on Hamas terrorists through sanctions, law enforcement and other measures, Savet said.
On Saturday, Hamas's militant wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, released a video message from one of the hostages, who holds American and Israeli citizenship, to US President-elect Donald Trump. He asked the Republican to “use US influence” and “continue negotiations for the release of the hostages by all means”, and also advised him “not to repeat Biden's mistakes on this matter.
At the end of November 2023. a one-week humanitarian truce was established in the Gaza Strip, brokered by Egypt and Qatar. During that time, according to the Israeli side, they managed to free 110 hostages. However, on December 1 last year, the truce was broken and hostilities in the Palestinian enclave resumed. After several rounds of consultations held in August this year with the participation of Qatar, the United States and Egypt, the parties to the conflict failed to reach an agreement on the parameters of the deal.
On October 27-28, the next round of consultations on the Gaza Strip took place in Doha with the participation of the head of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad David Barnea and the director of the CIA William Burns. The parties have once again failed to agree on the terms of a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
The humanitarian organizations “World Central Kitchen“ (World Central Kitchen) and “Save the Children” (Save the Children) announced the death of their employees in Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, BTA reported.
In an airstrike against a car in the strip on Saturday, five people died, including employees of the “World Central Kitchen”, the organization reported, as quoted by the Associated Press. The aid organization said it was “urgently seeking more details” after the Israeli army said the target of the strike was an aid worker who was involved in the “Hamas” on Israeli territory on October 7 last year. “World Central Kitchen” denied having information about such connections to any of the passengers in the car.
The organization said it was suspending its activities in Gaza. It also temporarily suspended operations there earlier this year after an Israeli strike killed seven of its employees, most of them foreigners.
Another humanitarian organization, Save the Children, said its staff member was killed on Saturday in an Israeli airstrike in the town of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported. This is the second employee of "Save the Children" to die in the strip since the beginning of the conflict.