عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Israel: No Humanitarian Break to Gaza Siege Unless Hostages are Freed

Israel's Energy Minister Israel Katz (File/Reuters)
Israel's Energy Minister Israel Katz (File/Reuters)
TT
20
TT

Israel: No Humanitarian Break to Gaza Siege Unless Hostages are Freed

Israel's Energy Minister Israel Katz (File/Reuters)
Israel's Energy Minister Israel Katz (File/Reuters)

Israel said on Thursday there would be no humanitarian break to its siege of the Gaza Strip until all its hostages were freed, after the Red Cross pleaded for fuel to be allowed in to prevent overwhelmed hospitals from "turning into morgues".

The sole electric power station in Gaza has been switched off and hospitals are running out of fuel for emergency generators.

"The human misery caused by this escalation is abhorrent, and I implore the sides to reduce the suffering of civilians," Fabrizio Carboni, regional director of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said in a statement on Thursday.

"As Gaza loses power, hospitals lose power, putting newborns in incubators and elderly patients on oxygen at risk. Kidney dialysis stops, and X-rays can’t be taken. Without electricity, hospitals risk turning into morgues."

Israel's Energy Minister Israel Katz said there would be no exception to the siege without freedom for Israeli hostages, Reuters reported.

"Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electrical switch will be lifted, no water hydrant will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli hostages are returned home. Humanitarian for humanitarian. And nobody should preach us morals," Katz posted on social media platform X.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

Israel Escalates Strikes in Southern Lebanon, Targeting Hezbollah

A UNIFIL vehicle on patrol in the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun (AFP)
A UNIFIL vehicle on patrol in the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun (AFP)
TT
20
TT

Israel Escalates Strikes in Southern Lebanon, Targeting Hezbollah

A UNIFIL vehicle on patrol in the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun (AFP)
A UNIFIL vehicle on patrol in the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun (AFP)

Israel intensified its military operations in southern Lebanon on Saturday, carrying out four raids against suspected Hezbollah operatives in the deadliest day of attacks in two months. The strikes killed one person and wounded six others.

The escalation comes as Lebanese officials struggle to finalize a unified response to a US proposal demanding Hezbollah’s disarmament and sweeping reforms. The response is expected to be delivered to US envoy Thomas Barrack on Monday.

According to the Israeli army, one drone strike killed a member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force near the town of Ainata. Lebanese authorities reported that the attack targeted a vehicle in the Saf al-Hawa area at the entrance to Bint Jbeil.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said an initial strike killed one person and injured two. Later strikes in Bint Jbeil and neighboring Shaqra wounded four more, including two critically. Another attack in Shebaa reportedly targeted a house, injuring a civilian.

Israel’s Army Radio confirmed that the military had tried to assassinate four Hezbollah members in separate operations, confirming one fatality while assessing the status of the others.

The attacks represent the largest number of targeted strikes in a single day since April. Lebanese observers see the surge in military pressure as an Israeli attempt to influence the tense negotiations in Beirut.

Hezbollah has yet to provide an official response to the American demands and has signaled it will not compromise without guarantees, particularly requiring Israel to fully implement a ceasefire agreement reached last November. That truce called for Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory, an end to air and ground violations, and the release of Lebanese prisoners.

Since the ceasefire, Hezbollah has demanded Israel withdraw from five strategic positions it continues to occupy in southern Lebanon, while Israel insists it will maintain military pressure unless Hezbollah disarms.

On Thursday, an Israeli drone strike near southern Beirut killed a man and wounded three others. Israeli forces claimed they had targeted an “Iranian-affiliated terrorist.”

Under the ceasefire terms, Hezbollah was to dismantle its military infrastructure south of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the Israeli border, in exchange for expanded deployment of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers. Israel was to withdraw from the newly occupied positions, though it has so far refused to pull out of key sites.