PARIS - Qatar and France have successfully mediated an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, aiming to address the urgent medical needs of Israeli hostages in Gaza. The deal involves the delivery of essential medicines purchased in France, departing from Qatar and passing through the Rafah border crossing. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari highlighted that humanitarian aid, including medicine, will be provided to the most affected areas in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the necessary medication for Israeli captives. The specific details of the aid's content and quantity have not been disclosed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed the upcoming dispatch of two Qatari Air Force planes carrying the purchased medicines to Egypt. From there, Qatari representatives will facilitate the transfer of the medical supplies to the Gaza Strip. Philippe Lalliot, head of France's foreign ministry crisis centre, revealed that the negotiations, initiated by families of Israeli hostages, had been ongoing for weeks. The International Committee of the Red Cross will coordinate the aid distribution on the ground.
The current situation in Gaza remains dire, with 85% of the population displaced and UN agencies warning of a looming humanitarian catastrophe, including mass starvation and disease. Ongoing conflict escalation involves exchanges of strikes between the US, Israel, and Iranian-backed groups in various regions. In Gaza, the Israeli military reported locating rocket installations and engaging in heavy fighting, resulting in casualties. The death toll has risen to 24,285, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concerns about the challenges of delivering humanitarian aid amidst intense bombardment. Additionally, the war's impact has extended to other Middle Eastern fronts, involving Iran in Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria. Iran launched missiles targeting what it termed Israeli "spy headquarters" in Iraq, prompting condemnation from Iraq and the US. Iranian-backed groups in Iraq and Syria have targeted US bases, and Houthi rebels in Yemen resumed attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
The Israel-Lebanon border has seen increased hostilities, with regular exchanges of fire since the conflict's onset. The situation escalated further after an Israeli strike killed Hamas' deputy political leader in Beirut, raising fears of a repeat of the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon.