Israel says hostages are held under hospital; Will Hamas exchange hostages for a ceasefire?

Tel Aviv [Israel], November 14: Hamas on November 13 accused Israel of delaying a potential deal brokered by Qatar to release dozens of hostages it is holding in Gaza.
Hamas 's armed wing spokesman Abu Obeida said that "Qatar's mediation led to an attempt" to release 100 Israeli hostages in exchange for 200 Palestinian children and 75 women held in Israeli prisons . according to AFP.
Mr. Obeida also said in a recorded statement: "We have informed the mediators that we can release the hostages if we achieve a five-day ceasefire... and deliver aid to all civilians." our forces across the Gaza Strip, but the enemy is delaying."
On November 12, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the US press that it was "possible" there would be an agreement to free hostages held in Gaza, but did not provide details.
Israeli officials say that about 240 people, including foreigners, were taken to the Gaza Strip as hostages when Hamas members from Gaza crossed the border and attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people. people, mainly civilians. After that attack, Israel began an intense bombing campaign in Gaza that Hamas claims killed 11,240 people, most of them civilians.
Political leaders and military commanders in Israel have said there will be no ceasefire until the hostages are freed, according to AFP.
Israel releases new evidence against Hamas
Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari announced on November 13 that they have evidence that Hamas members held hostages captured in the October 7 attack at a children's hospital. in Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip, according to AFP.
Mr. Hagari said that the Israeli army "found signs of Hamas holding hostages" in the basement of Rantisi hospital, releasing footage of a baby bottle and a rope near a chair.
On November 13, the Israeli army also shared videos and photos showing what they claimed were weapons stored by Hamas in the basement of Rantisi hospital, according to Reuters.
On November 13, Israeli tanks were positioned outside the gates of Shifa hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza, where hundreds of patients are still waiting to be evacuated.
Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals and other civilian infrastructure to conceal command centers and weapons locations and of using civilians and hospital patients as human shields. Hamas and hospital officials in Gaza have denied the accusations.
There is currently no information about Hamas's reaction to the latest statements from Israel.
The United Nations issued a new warning
The United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) warned on November 13 that its operations in Gaza would cease within two days due to fuel shortages as fierce fighting between Israel and Hamas continued, according to AFP.
Mr. Thomas White, head of UNRWA in Gaza, wrote on social network X: "No fuel has been brought into Gaza since October 7."
Aid agencies have repeatedly warned about shortages of the fuel, which is used to power vital services such as hospitals that rely on generators as well as to filter and pump drinking water. .
Speaking to reporters, Mr. White said negotiations to refill fuel tanks "have stalled" and are awaiting a decision from "the highest levels of the Israeli government."
According to Mr. White, the lack of drinking water, the lack of fuel to operate wastewater pumping stations and the constant shutdown of hospital generators have increased the risk of cholera.
No fuel has been brought into the Gaza Strip since "before the war", according to COGAT, the Israeli Ministry of Defense agency in charge of Palestinian civil affairs.
The Health Authority in Gaza, run by Hamas, said on November 13 that all hospitals in northern Gaza had stopped operating due to fuel shortages and ongoing fighting.
At Shifa, the largest hospital in Gaza, the death toll since the medical facility ran out of fuel on November 11 has risen to 34, including 27 patients in the intensive care unit and seven newborns, according to the agency. Gaza Health Authority.
"Indonesia calls on the US to do more"
During his visit to the White House on November 13, Indonesian President Joko Widodo urged US President Joe Biden to do more to end "atrocities" in Gaza and help achieve a ceasefire, according to AFP.
"Indonesia calls on the US to do more to stop atrocities in Gaza. A ceasefire is imperative for the good of humanity," said President Widodo, leader of the country with the most populous Muslim population. world, emphasized during the US-Indonesia summit.
The President of Indonesia said on November 12 that he would bring President Biden a "very strong message" from the summit between Arab and Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on November 11 to condemned Israel and called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
However, President Biden is focused on a plan to upgrade cooperation with Indonesia to the highest level, called a comprehensive strategic partnership, according to AFP.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper