Author: Web Desk

Netanyahu hints at potential deal with Hamas for release of hostages in Gaza Strip

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday suggested that there could be a potential agreement with Hamas for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. “I think the less I say about it, the more I’ll increase the chances that it materializes,” Netanyahu told American network NBC News. In response to a question about whether he knows where all the hostages are currently being held, Netanyahu said: “We know a great deal, but I won’t go beyond that”. The Israeli Prime Minister added that any agreement would be “the result of pressure, military pressure”. “That’s the one thing that might create a deal and if a deal is available. Well, we will talk about it when it’s there. We’ll announce it if it’s achievable,” he added. Further discussing the future governance of the Gaza Strip post-conflict, Netanyahu suggested that a change in authority might be necessary. However, he did not specify what form this new governance might take, adding the US would oppose Israeli occupation of Gaza.

Source: EN – Anadolu Agency

Another Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in West Bank

An elderly Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli army forces in the West Bank city of Hebron on Monday, the Health Ministry said. A ministry statement said a 66-year-old man was killed by a bullet in the head. Palestinians shared a video on social media platforms of a taxi driver covered in blood in central Hebron. Witnesses said the man was shot near the headquarters of the Islamic Charitable Society during a military raid in the town of Yata, south of Hebron. Israeli forces also rounded up several Palestinians in military raids in the cities of Nablus, Jenin, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Hebron and Ramallah, according to witnesses. Tensions have been high across the West Bank since Oct. 7 amid an Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas. At least 187 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the occupied territory ever since, according to Palestinian figures. More than 11,100 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 8,000 children and women, in I
sraeli air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since last month, the government media office in Gaza said on Sunday. The Israeli death toll is nearly 1,200, according to official figures.

Source: EN – Anadolu Agency

Palestinian health minister appeals to Red Cross to press Israel to stop attacking Gaza

Palestinian Health Minister Mai Al-Kaila sent an urgent distress call on Sunday to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to press Israel to stop its attacks on the Gaza Strip. The move came as she held an emergency meeting with the ICRC’s delegate in Jerusalem and its health affairs coordinator. “Hundreds of patients and wounded are threatened with death at any moment as a result of the bombing and besieging of hospitals, the power outage, the running out of fuel, medicines and medical supplies, and the lack of the minimum necessities of life in them,” Al-Kaila said according to a Health Ministry statement on Facebook. She reviewed “the catastrophic health situation in the Gaza Strip and the attacks on the health system, where 23 hospitals out of 35 have completely stopped working and the occupation forces are besieging many hospitals and preventing entry or exit from them for medical staff, paramedics and patients.” Al-Kaila said that “citizens in the Gaza Strip are living in tragic health
conditions, as there is no safe place and there are no conditions for survival such as water, food, safety and healthcare. On top of that are the Israeli bombings which have led to the deaths of more than 11,000 people, the wounding of 27,000 citizens, and the loss of about 3,000 more.’ She once again called on all international and human rights institutions and organizations to “stand up to their responsibilities in order to stop the Israeli aggression and immediately allow the entry of health support and fuel to hospitals and allow patients to go for treatment outside the Gaza Strip, as well as the entry of volunteer medical teams into the Gaza Strip as well as water and food.” Israel has been carrying out relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip — including on hospitals, residences and houses of worship — since the Palestinian group Hamas launched a cross-border attack on Oct. 7. Since then, the number of deaths in the ongoing Israeli attacks has surpassed 11,100, including more than 8,000
women and children, the government media office in Gaza said on Sunday. The Israeli death toll is nearly 1,200, according to official figures.

Source: EN – Anadolu Agency

Israel’s military chief admits failing to protect Jewish settlements on Oct. 7

Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi admitted Sunday that the military failed to protect Jewish settlements near the Gaza Strip during the surprise attack launched by Hamas on Oct. 7. Halevi made the remarks during a meeting with municipal leaders from southern Israel, the Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported. ‘We are aware of the failure. We failed to protect the communities. We did not prepare for such a scenario,’ he said. “We will study everything, and we will learn our lessons. We are determined to complete the mission and to destroy Hamas.’ Israel has been carrying out relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip — including on hospitals, residences and houses of worship — since the Palestinian group Hamas launched a cross-border attack on Oct. 7. Since then, the number of deaths in the ongoing Israeli attacks has surpassed 11,100, including more than 8,000 women and children, the government media office in Gaza said on Sunday. The Israeli death toll is nearly 1,200, according to official
figures.

Source: EN – Anadolu Agency

Hezbollah reports death of member in Lebanon-Israel clashes, toll rises to 73

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced on Sunday that one of its members was killed in clashes with the Israeli army along Lebanon’s southern border. The latest casualty brings the group’s total reported fatalities to 73 since Oct. 8. In a statement, Hezbollah mourned ‘the fighter Jawad Al-Bazal from the town of Bekaa, who ascended on the path to Jerusalem.’ The group, however, did not provide further details regarding the circumstances of Al-Bazal’s death. On Saturday, Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah, in a televised speech, declared that their military operations against Israel are ‘ongoing’ despite all precautionary measures taken by Tel Aviv. On the same day, Israel Defense Minister Yaakov Galant issued a warning to the residents of Beirut, stating that they would ‘face the fate of Gaza residents’ if a war with Hezbollah broke out, according to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority.

Source: EN – Anadolu Agency

Red Cross makes urgent call for protection of civilians in Gaza Strip

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued an urgent plea on Sunday for the protection of civilians in the Gaza Strip, “trapped in fighting, whether they are trying to evacuate or staying where they are.” In a statement, ICRC said the attacks are underway in densely populated areas and around hospitals which poses a risk to the lives of “the most vulnerable people, like medical staff, patients, the wounded, premature babies, people with disabilities, and the elderly.” “An unbearable human tragedy is unfolding in front of our eyes. People call us day and night, saying they are afraid to open their door for fear of getting killed and pleading to help them reach safety,” said William Schomburg, the head of the ICRC sub-delegation in Gaza. “As a humanitarian worker, I feel frustrated not to be able to respond to these calls, as our teams lack basic security conditions to move in North Gaza,” Schomburg said. The ICRC has expressed grave concern about the precarious and unsafe conditions under
which civilians are evacuating. “Men, women, and children, waving white flags, walk for dozens of kilometers past dead bodies lying on the streets and without necessities like food and water,” it said. The NGO stated that there are 100,000 displaced people who lack necessities such as shelter, food, water, and hygiene supplies. “The situation is rapidly approaching a humanitarian disaster,” it said, reiterating “its call for unimpeded and regular flow of humanitarian assistance”.

Source: EN – Anadolu Agency

Turkish benchmark stock index looking up at weekly open

Trkiye’s benchmark stock index opened Monday at 7,784.33 points, up by 0.17% or 12.99 points, from the previous close. On Friday, Borsa Istanbul’s BIST 100 index closed at 7,771.34 points, down by 0.89%, with a daily trading volume of 74 billion Turkish liras ($2.5 billion). The US dollar/Turkish lira exchange rate was 28.5890 as of 10.00 a.m. local time (0700GMT), while the euro/lira rate stood at 30.5625, and a British pound traded for 34.9894 liras. Brent crude oil was selling for around $80.94 per barrel, while the price of an ounce of gold was $1,942.95.

Source: EN – Anadolu Agency