Hamas announces death of Israeli hostage due to lack of food and medicine

The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas announced the death of an Israeli hostage, attributed to a lack of food and medicine, and warned that others kidnapped were sick and needed treatment.

Abu Obeida, spokesman for the al Qasam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, identified the dead hostage on the social network Telegram as Yehiv Buchataf, 34 years old.

“Previously we had warned that the enemy’s prisoners suffer from the same conditions that our people suffer, from hunger and deprivation, due to the lack of food and medicine”, said the spokesperson.

“The disease now threatens the lives of several of them [reféns]”, he added.

Obeida’s announcement was accompanied by a propaganda video showing a montage where Buchataf’s body appears in a coffin.

“Despite having survived the attacks by the occupation Army, he did not escape the lack of food and medicine. Time is running out and your Government lies”, is the message that appears written in the video, in Hebrew, Arabic and English .

Among the 253 kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 130 detainees remain in the enclave, around 30 already dead, in addition to four other hostages held several years ago, two of them also dead.

Since the start of the current conflict, Israel and Hamas have only secured a one-week truce agreement at the end of November, which allowed the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

Four hostages were released by Hamas in October, three were rescued by the Army and 11 bodies were recovered, three killed by mistake by Israeli troops.

Around 600 family members of 81 hostages who remain held by Islamist militias in the Gaza Strip sent a letter to US President, Joe Biden, in which they express frustration with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, over his management of negotiations for the his release.

This Saturday, thousands of people took to the streets again in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Caesarea and other cities in Israel to pressure the Government to accept a truce that would allow the release of the hostages, with some calling for early elections.

“The hostages cannot scream, they need us to be here for them, and we will not stop until they are all home,” announced the Forum for Families of Hostages and Missing Persons, which led the call.

“I appeal to the Prime Minister: he abandoned us on October 7th and continues to abandon us. Unacceptable behavior among Jews”, said Adina Moshe, a hostage released in November, at the Tel Aviv protest.

Delegations from Israel and Hamas meet again in Doha to participate in indirect negotiations — mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the USA — on a new draft agreement that allows for a truce of at least six weeks and the exchange of 40 hostages for 400 Palestinian prisoners.

A Hamas official said that there are “deep differences” with Israel in discussions on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, particularly on the ceasefire, the full return of displaced civilians and the management of humanitarian aid.

“The enemy took the flexibility of our movement out of weakness. The occupier is trying to use negotiations as a means of continuing his crimes and aggression”, Hamas official close to the ongoing talks told AFP, on condition of anonymity. .

“The occupiers’ response is absolutely unacceptable, and no Palestinian can accept this offer, especially the fact that they refuse to return the displaced and wish to maintain the occupation in the Gaza Strip,” he added.

The Israeli Army began a widespread offensive on the Gaza Strip following attacks by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on October 7, 2023 against Israeli military, police and civilian targets near the Palestinian enclave.

Hamas’ unprecedented military operation caused around 1,200 deaths and more than two hundred hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

Since then, Israel has launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip that has so far caused more than 32,000 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health controlled by Hamas.

The Israeli offensive has also destroyed most of Gaza’s infrastructure and close to two million people have been forced to leave their homes, almost all of the enclave’s 2.3 million inhabitants.

The population of the Gaza Strip is also facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis due to the collapse of hospitals, the outbreak of epidemics and shortages of drinking water, food, medicine and electricity.

Since October 7, 2023, more than 420 Palestinians have also been killed by the Israeli Army and by settler attacks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories occupied by the Jewish State, in addition to nearly 7,000 arrests and more than 3,000 injuries. .