"We will continue to provide Israel with the necessary equipment, including mission-critical ammunition, tactical vehicles and air defense systems. And we will support Israel's effort to free the hostages." This was stated by the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, at the end of a meeting with Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. "American support for Israel is strong, and no person, organization, or state should test our resolve," he said. In addition, he said, the U.S. will not set a timetable for the war in Gaza. "This is an Israeli operation," he said.
Austin has emphasized in his meetings in Israel that in order to achieve his goals in the war against Hamas, he must also keep humanitarian issues in mind. ''We need to take care of the most urgent needs. We need to ensure that more humanitarian aid is delivered to the 2 million displaced people in Gaza."
''This aid - he added - must be distributed in a better way''. Austin then expressed appreciation for new measures taken in recent days by the Israeli government: a reference to the opening of Israel's Kerem Shalom crossing.
The U.S. "continues to believe" in the two-state solution, the defense secretary reiterated at a press conference with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant. "We know how difficult it is, especially after October 7, but the continued instability and insecurity play into Hamas' hands," he said
. On Gaza's future, Austin said that "Israelis and Palestinians have both paid too high a price to go back to October 6. So today I discussed the paths to a future for Gaza after Hamas, based on the clear principles laid out last month by my friend Blinken."
After confirming that the U.S. will support Israel's efforts to free the hostages, Austin stressed that "Hamas routinely uses civilians as shields." "In addition to this," he insisted, "it places its headquarters and logistics sites near hospitals, mosques, churches, everything. This increases complexity and places an additional burden on the forces that will carry on this fight. It requires very professional strength, and that strength has to learn every step of the way."
As for the future, Israel's Gallant said that "we know that Hamas will not be in control of Gaza. We know that we will have the freedom to eliminate all kinds of threats in the future." And he warned that "if diplomatic efforts are unsuccessful, we will not hesitate to attack in the north," referring to the situation of high tension with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
New video of three Hamas hostages
Hamas has released a new video of three hostages being held in Gaza. This was spread by the channels of the Islamic faction on Telegram and the news was
picked up by Haaretz.
Video Hamas publishes new video of 3 hostages
One of the three hostages is named - according to Israeli media - Yoram Metzger, while another is Aiem Bery, and the third is Amiram Cooper. All of them are elderly people. The title of the video chosen by Hamas reads: 'Do not abandon me in old age' and is a quote from a biblical saying (Psalm 71).
"We don't understand why you abandoned us here, you have to free us at any cost. We don't want to be victims of Israel's military raids." The heartfelt plea
comes from an elderly Israeli hostage in Gaza in a video released today by Hamas.
"My name is Aiem Bery, I'm 79 years old, from the Nair Ouz kibbutz, and I'm here with a group of other elders," he begins. In the images, three men, dressed in dark trousers and a light-coloured T-shirt, can be seen looking tired and fatigued, testifying to their long imprisonment, as they describe their
dramatic physical conditions. "We all have chronic illnesses and we are living in terrible conditions," says Bery, who is sitting in the middle, among two other hostages. Behind them there is no background that can reveal where they are at the moment, but only a white wall.
"We are the generation that built the foundation for the creation of Israel," the nearly 80-year-old hostage adds, explaining that he is one of "those who laid the foundations of the IDF Israel Military Defense Forces." The one-minute video ends with a Bible quote: 'Do not forsake me in old age.'
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