Israeli Military Chief Says More than 1,000 Captives Taken in Gaza

Chief of the Israeli General Staff Major-General Herzi Halevi (Israeli Defense Ministry)
Chief of the Israeli General Staff Major-General Herzi Halevi (Israeli Defense Ministry)
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Israeli Military Chief Says More than 1,000 Captives Taken in Gaza

Chief of the Israeli General Staff Major-General Herzi Halevi (Israeli Defense Ministry)
Chief of the Israeli General Staff Major-General Herzi Halevi (Israeli Defense Ministry)

The Israeli army have taken more than 1,000 people captive in the war against Hamas in Gaza, Israel's military chief said on Sunday.

Addressing soldiers inside the bombarded enclave, Chief of the General Staff Major-General Herzi Halevi said that when combatants “lay down their arms and raise their hands, we arrest them, we don't shoot them,” according to Reuters.

“We get a lot of intelligence from the captives we have, we already have over a thousand,” Halevi said in a video distributed by the military.

Halevi's comments came after soldiers accidentally shot dead three Israeli hostages who the army says were waving a white flag and trying to be rescued.



UK, Italy Discuss De-Escalating Regional Tensions with Lebanese, Israeli Officials 

Israeli officials respond after rockets were launched across Lebanon's border with Israel which, according to Israel's ambulance services, people were killed, at a soccer pitch in Majdal Shams, a Druze village in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, July 27, 2024. (Reuters)
Israeli officials respond after rockets were launched across Lebanon's border with Israel which, according to Israel's ambulance services, people were killed, at a soccer pitch in Majdal Shams, a Druze village in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, July 27, 2024. (Reuters)
TT

UK, Italy Discuss De-Escalating Regional Tensions with Lebanese, Israeli Officials 

Israeli officials respond after rockets were launched across Lebanon's border with Israel which, according to Israel's ambulance services, people were killed, at a soccer pitch in Majdal Shams, a Druze village in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, July 27, 2024. (Reuters)
Israeli officials respond after rockets were launched across Lebanon's border with Israel which, according to Israel's ambulance services, people were killed, at a soccer pitch in Majdal Shams, a Druze village in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, July 27, 2024. (Reuters)

Britain and Italy discussed on Monday the latest regional escalation with Lebanese and Israeli officials. 

Britain welcomes the Lebanese government's call for a cessation of all violence after an attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights blamed on Lebanon's Hezbollah, Britain's foreign minister said following a call with Lebanon's caretaker prime minister.  

"I spoke to (Lebanon's) Prime Minister @Najib_Mikati today to express my concern at escalating tension and welcomed the Government of Lebanon’s statement urging for cessation of all violence," David Lammy wrote on X on Monday.  

"We both agreed that widening of conflict in the region is in nobody’s interest." 

Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani has discussed preventing a new war in the Middle East with his Israeli and Lebanese counterparts, Israel Katz and Bou Habib, he said on Monday. 

"Breaking the spiral of violence is possible", he wrote on social media platform X. 

He said the Italian government was committed to peace and stability, including through Italy's presence in the United Nations' UNIFIL contingent.