While Hamas announces the release of two American hostages , mother and daughter, the bombs on the church of San Porfirio in Gaza reignite controversy over a conflict that is becoming increasingly bloody. Meanwhile, this morning the Rafah crossing from Egypt was opened and was closed immediately after the passage of the first convoys with humanitarian aid.
"This convoy must not be the last", is the UN appeal, while Hamas underlines that "a little aid will not be able to change the humanitarian disaster that the Gaza Strip is experiencing" .
The release of the two hostages - thanks to mediation by Qatar - was decided by Hamas "to demonstrate to the American people how wrong the statements of Biden and his fascist administration are". Yeudit Raanan (59 years old) and her daughter Natalie (18 years old) , also Israeli citizens, had arrived in Israel to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Sukkot and were seized and kidnapped by Hamas in the attack on the Nahal Oz kibbutz last October 7 . US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meanwhile calls for all US hostages to be released immediately: "There are still 10 Americans, Hamas should release them immediately."
Meanwhile, in the old city of Gaza City, rescuers are digging tirelessly through the rubble of the building annexed to the Greek Orthodox church of San Porfirio, hit by a raid. About 400 people had gathered to find shelter from the incessant air bombardment of Tel Aviv: an initial toll from Caritas speaks of at least 17 dead and dozens injured . Hamas, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Caritas have accused Israel, the Jewish State's army has only admitted to having hit a wall adjacent to the religious place from where the rocket fire started.
From the situation on the ground it is clear that the entry of Israeli ground troops into Gaza is increasingly closer . The continuous raids and invasion are the first of three phases, explains Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, identified by Tel Aviv to overthrow Hamas and establish a new political regime in the Strip.
The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has meanwhile asked to evacuate many of its schools where Palestinians have taken refuge in Gaza City , deeming the places "no longer safe" after receiving an Israeli warning. “ We have been informed by Israel of the need to evacuate these infrastructures as quickly as possible ,” UNRWA said in a statement. “We have done what we can to protest and reject this decision, but the bottom line is that our infrastructure will no longer be safe going forward,” the agency wrote in a statement.
And there is now open war on the northern border between Israel and Hezbollah , who continue to launch rockets across the border from Lebanon.
Hostage chapter : according to Israel, 210 are still alive in the hands of Hamas, including 30 minors or adolescents and 20 elderly people, the army also estimates between 100 and 200 missing. Meanwhile, the death toll is worsening: over 4 thousand Palestinians (1,600 children according to Unicef), with 13 thousand injured, around 1,400 in Israel with 5 thousand injured .
Today in Cairo, all eyes are on the international conference - in which Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also participates - promoted by Egyptian President al Sisi to "relaunch the peace process in the region".
(Unioneonline/L)