HAMAS has claimed it doesn’t know the place dozens of kid hostages are being held in Gaza – as Israel holds out hope extra will probably be launched within the coming days.
It got here as Joe Biden heaped stress on Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to increase the delicate ceasefire because of finish on Monday evening.
Israel mentioned it’s open to extending the four-day truce however demanded Hamas agrees to free more of the 200 remaining hostages it snatched final month.
It has provided an additional day’s ceasefire for each ten hostages returned.
After that, its forces will return to struggle at “full energy”, Netanyahu insisted.
Any deal will rely on whether or not Hamas is ready to find round 40 girls and youngsters snatched on October 7, Qatar‘s prime minister mentioned final evening.
Extra on the hostage launch
However the terrorists claimed they have no idea the whereabouts of Israeli hostages as a result of they’re being held by unknown “gangs” in Gaza.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani who’s main talks instructed the Monetary Occasions: “In the event that they [Hamas] get further girls and youngsters, there will probably be an extension.
“We do not but have any clear info what number of they’ll discover as a result of … one of many functions [of the pause in fighting] is that they [Hamas] may have time to seek for the remainder of the lacking individuals.”
The declare was eyed with suspicion amid fears Hamas chiefs will use the ceasefire to regroup for extra bloodshed.
The phobia group additionally claimed once more it didn’t kidnap any civilians – though its members filmed themselves snatching defenceless hostages and dragging them again to Gaza throughout the bloodbath.
About 240 hostages, together with Israeli troopers and sick and aged civilians, are understood to have taken hostage by the fear group and held in underground tunnels.
Final week Qatar brokered a deal to free 50 Israeli girls and youngsters in trade for 150 Palestinians in Israeli prisons over the course of a four-day ceasefire.
The Qatari prime minister mentioned final evening Israel was prepared to increase the truce if if “there’s proof” Hamas has extra girls and youngsters to launch, “however nothing past that”.
He claimed Hamas agreed to launch 50 girls and youngsters as a part of the hostage deal as that was the quantity it might find.
Sheikh Mohammed mentioned one other militant faction in Gaza referred to as Palestinian Islamic Jihad was coordinating with Hamas on the hostage launch.
And he warned the battle may unfold and destabilise “the complete area” if an prolonged ceasefire shouldn’t be secured.
Joe Biden mentioned he was hopeful the truce will probably be prolonged as he hailed the release of 17 more hostages on Sunday – together with four-year-old Israeli-American Abigail Edan, whose dad and mom had been murdered on October 7.
He instructed reporters his purpose was “to maintain this pause going past tomorrow, in order that we are able to proceed to see extra hostages come out and surge extra humanitarian aid to these in want in Gaza”.
Biden additionally spoke to Netanyahu, who replied he was open to extending the ceasefire by sooner or later for each ten further hostages launched by Hamas.
He reportedly added: “On the finish of the deal, we’re returning full energy to hold out our goals: destroy Hamas, make sure that Gaza received’t return to what it was and naturally to free all of our hostages.”
As half of the present truce deal, Israel has agreed to ship elevated support into Gaza.
The Israel Defence Forces mentioned on Sunday evening that 200 vans had entered the Strip earlier within the day, loaded with 3,600 tons of tents, blankets, and mattresses, amongst different humanitarian provides.
It added: “Over 2,000 vans have entered Gaza for the reason that begin of the struggle, transferring water, meals and medical gear”.
Because the truce deal took impact on Friday, Hamas has launched 39 Israeli girls and youngsters and 18 overseas nationals, whereas Israel has freed 117 Palestinian girls and youngsters from its prisons.
In keeping with Palestinian officers, Israeli strikes launched following Hamas’ preliminary assaults on October 7 have killed greater than 13,300 individuals in Gaza.
Israel has beforehand disputed the dying toll figures, and whereas Benjamin Netanyahu has admitted Israel has “not been profitable” in lowering civilian casualties, he additionally careworn the deaths have to be blamed on Hamas, not Israel.