“WITHOUT REST”
But Israel’s top general warned that there would be no respite in fighting in Gaza if the hostages were not released.
“I estimate that in the coming days we will know whether we can reach an agreement for the release of our hostages,” said army chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, according to a military statement.
“If not, the combat will continue without rest,” he said, during remarks to officers inside Gaza on Friday.
Of the 251 people who were kidnapped from Israel during Hamas’ attack in October 2023, 49 remain in Gaza, 27 of them dead, according to the military.
Palestinian armed groups this week released two videos of hostages looking emaciated and weak.
Zamir denied that there was widespread starvation in Gaza.
“The current campaign of false accusations of intentional starvation is a deliberate, timed and deceitful attempt to accuse the IDF (Israeli military), a moral army, of war crimes,” he said.
“The ones responsible for the killing and suffering of the residents in the Gaza Strip is Hamas.”
Hamas’ 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures.
A total of 898 Israeli soldiers have also been killed, according to the military.
Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed at least 60,332 people, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry, deemed reliable by the UN.
