According to the report of the French Press Agency, Israel confirmed the revival of indirect negotiations with Hamas in Qatar, the goal of which was the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip. On Saturday, a rally was held in several cities of Israel to put pressure on the government on this issue.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Kak informed the families of the hostages “about the efforts to free the hostages, as well as about the Israeli delegation that went to Qatar for talks on Friday.”
On Friday, Hamas announced the continuation of negotiations and emphasized the goal of achieving a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian Islamists said the talks would focus on “a complete cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the besieged Palestinian territories.”
Israel did not provide details of the planned talks. On Saturday, a rally was held in several Israeli cities with the aim of pressuring the government to release the hostages as soon as possible.
Previous talks were held in Doha last December, but ended in failure, with Hamas and Israel accusing each other of obstructing the talks.
Anti-government protest in Tel Aviv. Protesters demand release of Hamas hostages by January 5, 2025. Reuters
So far, the main points of contention have been whether the ceasefire should be permanent and how the Gaza Strip will be managed after the war.
Hamas released a video of the kidnapped hostage
On Saturday, Hamas released a video of one of the hostages abducted from Israel in the October 2023 attack on the Gaza Strip. The more than three-minute-long recording, whose history cannot be verified, shows a young woman calling on the Israeli government in Hebrew to act for her release, AFP reported.
The family of 19-year-old Liri Albagh, who was abducted along with six other women from the Nahal Oz airbase in southern Israel, has released screenshots of the video. “We appeal to the Prime Minister, world leaders and all decision-makers: it’s time to make decisions for your children,” the Albagh family said in a statement.
An organization that groups families of abductees said in a statement that the sign of life was “strong and irrefutable evidence of the urgent need to bring the hostages home.”
Main photo source: PAP/EPA/ATEF SAFADI
