Hamas confirmed the death of its leader, Yahya Al-Sinwar, in a video statement by senior official Khalil Al-Hayya, who served as the movement’s chief negotiator in talks for a possible ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage release agreement.
In a televised speech, Al-Hayya said that Hamas would not release Israeli hostages until “the aggression against our people in Gaza stops,” Israel completely withdraws from the Strip and Palestinian prisoners in Israel are released.
Here’s what else you should know:
More details show: The chief forensic pathologist who performed Sinwar’s autopsy told CNN that the Hamas leader was killed by a bullet to the head. The Israeli army did not previously say anything about its forces firing a fatal shot. In response to a request for comment, an Israeli army spokesman told CNN that there was an exchange of fire and that the fighting ended with Israel firing a tank shell at the building. The spokesman added that the Israeli army is still working to find out all the details. The coroner told CNN that when Israeli forces found a body resembling Sinwar’s on Wednesday, his finger was cut off and sent for DNA testing in order to identify him.
The American response so far: US President Joe Biden said that ending the conflict in the Middle East will remain difficult after Sinwar’s death. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the United States could “very likely” play a role in stabilization efforts in Gaza after the end of the war with Israel, adding that it would have to be introduced alongside allies in the region.
Siege of medical organizations: The World Health Organization has accused Israel of preventing several medical organizations from entering Gaza – the first time entire health agencies have been denied access to the Strip during the year-long war. The WHO said the specialists denied entry were supposed to support “already overburdened” staff in performing medical treatments, including surgeries, at stressed facilities such as the Nasser Medical Complex, the European Hospital in southern Gaza and Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza. The Coordination Agency for Government Activities in the Territories, the Israeli agency that coordinates inspections and the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza, denied these accusations.
Gaza’s strained healthcare system: The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the few hospitals operating in northern Gaza, said it was overwhelmed with the number of incoming patients, with staff suffering from exhaustion and running out of medical supplies and food. “This is a catastrophic situation in every sense of the word,” Dr. Hossam Abu Safia told CNN in a video message. “From yesterday until this moment no one has slept.” He added that the hospital is also suffering from a high number of babies born prematurely due to the pressure placed on pregnant women amid the heavy bombardment of northern Gaza.
Israel continues its operations in Lebanon: Israel issued an evacuation warning to residents of 23 villages in southern Lebanon, urging them to move north. Some of the villages mentioned in the notice on Friday were mentioned in previous warnings. About a fifth of Lebanon’s population has fled their homes, and about a quarter of the country is under Israeli military evacuation orders, the Middle East director of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said on Tuesday. The IDF said that Israel also called up “an additional reserve brigade to carry out operational missions” in northern Israel against Hezbollah.
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