The Israeli army carried out new deadly bombings in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, particularly in Rafah, and ordered new evacuations from this town in the south of the Palestinian territory, threatened by a major ground offensive. “Our operations are limited and focus on tactical advances” by “avoiding densely populated areas,” the Israeli army said in a statement.
While mediation efforts for a truce and the release of hostages seem to be bogged down, US President Joe Biden estimated on Saturday that a ceasefire was possible “tomorrow” in the war between Israel and Hamas, if the Palestinian group released the hostages.
Information to remember:
⇒ UN chief calls for “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza
⇒ Two doctors killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza
⇒ Hamas announces the death of a detainee shown alive in a video broadcast on Saturday
UN chief calls for ‘immediate’ ceasefire in Gaza
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called this Sunday, May 12, for an “immediate” ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the return of hostages and an increase in aid to the besieged Palestinian territory. “I reiterate my call, the call of the whole world for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, for the unconditional release of all hostages and for an immediate increase in humanitarian aid. But a ceasefire will not be “It will be a long road to recovery from the devastation and trauma of this war,” he said in a video address to an international donor conference in Kuwait.
Hamas announces death of detainee shown alive in video released Saturday
The armed wing of Hamas announced Saturday on Telegram the death of an Israeli hostage, held in Gaza since the Islamist group’s attack on October 7, and of whom it had broadcast images of him alive a few hours earlier. Questioned by AFP, the Israeli army did not wish to comment on the information immediately. The fate of this hostage was also not mentioned by the army spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, in his press briefing on Saturday evening.
In the video, the hostage was identified by the Hostage Families Forum, an association representing some of the hostage families, as Nadav Popplewell, a 51-year-old Israeli-British citizen from Kibbutz Nirim. The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades claimed in a video that he died on Saturday, and blamed his death on “injuries sustained after Zionist (Israeli) fighter jets targeted the place where he was being held there more than a month old.”
Shortly before, the armed group had broadcast a first video. These images of around ten seconds, and the date of recording is not specified, show the hostage, a swollen eye and a haggard look, who articulates his name, his age. He is standing in front of a white tiled wall, in a place that appears dark. The message from the armed wing of Hamas, which Israel considers a terrorist organization along with the United States and the European Union, is accompanied by the hashtags written in Arabic and Hebrew: “Time is running out” and “your government is lying”.
Two doctors killed in Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip
Hamas’ civil security services announced this Sunday that two doctors had been killed in Israeli strikes on the town of Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip. “The bodies of Dr. Mohammed Nimr Qazat and his son, Dr. Youssef, were discovered due to a strike on the town of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, and they were transferred to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital” in the city, the source said.