American officials told the Wall Street Journal they feared that many of the Israeli hostages still held captive by Hamas in Gaza were dead. The report comes amid talks on a truce agreement, with some Hamas sources indicating in recent days that they are unable to trace the 40 live hostages Israel is seeking in the negotiations. There are believed to be 129 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remaining in Gaza. The IDF confirmed the deaths of 34 of these but, writes the WSJ, "Israeli and American officials privately estimate that the number of deaths could be much higher"
The Israeli War Cabinet will meet this evening at 7.30pm (6.30pm in Italy). The media reported it. Israel is still waiting for an official response from Hamas to the proposals of the mediators of the USA, Egypt and Qatar for a truce in Gaza and the release of the hostages. The Cabinet meeting also takes place amid growing tension with Iran which threatens retaliatory attacks for the killing, attributed to Israel, of seven people including a Pasdaran general in Tehran's consulate in Damascus.
Yesterday, American sources quoted by Bloomberg reported that the United States and its allies believe that a missile or drone attack by Iran or pro-Iranian groups on Israel is 'imminent'. According to sources, the potential attack - possibly using high-precision missiles - could take place in the coming days. The Israeli targets that could be hit are military or government.
And today Reuters reports that the American envoy for the Middle East Brett McGurk has called the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Iraq, asking them to deliver a message to Tehran to ease tensions with Israel. According to a source who requested anonymity, McGurk asked officials to contact Iran's foreign minister and pass on the message.
The request would be forwarded. McGurk's calls were first reported by Axios, but the White House declined to comment.
Israel, terrorist Nasser killed, financed Hamas in Rafah
The Israeli army announced that it had killed the terrorist Nasser Yakob Jabber Nasser. “As part of his activities in the military wing of Hamas, he was responsible for financing a significant part of Hamas military activities in Rafah,” says the military spokesperson according to whom Nasser “transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars last December to Hamas for its military activities". The same source recalled that "terrorists were eliminated in the Suyaia area in the north of the Strip".
Unicef, 'one of our vehicles towards Gaza was hit'
"Yesterday a Unicef vehicle waiting to enter northern Gaza was hit by live bullets": the UN children's agency announced this in a post on X, adding that "the episode has already been raised to the competent Israeli authorities". “Unfortunately, humanitarian workers continue to face risks in delivering life-saving aid. If humanitarian aid workers are not protected, in line with international humanitarian law,” the post adds, “humanitarian aid cannot reach people in need.” ".
Israel will open a new aid crossing north of Gaza
The Israeli army announced, in addition to the one in Erez, the opening of "a new land crossing on the northern border of the Strip to allow
more direct aid to civilians in areas where access by trucks has been difficult".
The military spokesperson made this known, adding that this takes place "in the program to expand aid to the Palestinian enclave". Then he recalled that only yesterday "298 aid trucks entered the Strip and 353 packages were parachuted".
As part of the expansion of the humanitarian program approved by Israel, a new northern crossing will be opened in the Zikim area towards the Gaza Strip under Israeli control.
'Targeted operation in central Gaza'
The IDF announced that it had launched "a targeted, intelligence-based operation to eliminate terrorist operatives and
infrastructure" in central Gaza. This was announced by the military spokesperson, who stated that before the entry of troops into the area, "air raids hit terrorist infrastructures above and below the ground" in the area.
"During operational activity, the soldiers - he added - identified an armed terrorist coming out of a tunnel. The terrorist was
hit".
For their part, Palestinian media reported a series of Israeli raids in the central part of Gaza, in the Nuseirat camp where the Wafa agency reported at least two deaths. The raids - according to the same source - hit a residential tower in the area. The IDF has not yet commented on the news.
Furthermore, medical sources in Gaza, cited by Wafa, reported "8 citizens killed and others injured in Israeli shelling east of
Rafah", in the southern Gaza Strip. The same sources explained that "5 of the 8 were killed by an occupation air raid that targeted a group of citizens in the vicinity of the eastern cemetery."
Three others, according to the same source, were hit "in the Al-Geneina neighborhood, east of Rafah". The Israeli army has not yet
given its version of events.