Israel's military announced on Saturday that they had recovered the body of a 47-year-old farmer who had been held hostage in Gaza. Negotiators are gearing up for another round of talks on negotiating a cease-fire and securing the release of the remaining hostages, six months into the conflict.
The Israeli army stated that they found the body of Elad Katzir and indicated that he was likely killed in January by militants affiliated with Islamic Jihad, one of the factions involved in the Oct. 7 assault, which resulted in over 1,200 casualties and the capture of approximately 250 hostages. Katzir was taken from Nir Oz, a border town that experienced significant losses during the attack.
This discovery has increased the pressure on Israel's government to reach an agreement for the release of the remaining hostages. Families of the captives have been anxious, fearing that time is running out. Tragically, at least 36 hostages in captivity have been confirmed as deceased, while about half of the initial captives have been freed.
"If a deal had been reached in a timely manner, he might still be with us today," expressed Katzir's sister, Carmit, in a statement conveyed to the press. "Our leaders are acting out of fear and political motives, which prevented the necessary agreement from taking place."
Israelis are divided on the approach by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government. A week ago, tens of thousands of Israelis thronged central Jerusalem in the largest anti-government protest since the war began.
Inside Gaza, the toll of Israel's offensive is measured in tens of thousands of deaths and more than a million Palestinians displaced.
"We have arrived at a terrible milestone," the U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said in a statement marking six months and noting "the immediate prospect of a shameful man-made famine." He called the prospect of further escalation in Gaza "unconscionable."
Cease-fire negotiations will resume on Sunday, according to an Egyptian official and Egypt's state-owned Al Qahera TV. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the talks.
U.S. President Joe Biden has sent CIA Director Bill Burns to Egypt. A Hamas delegation will arrive on Sunday to join the talks, the militant group said.
Hamas has insisted on linking a phased end to the war - not a temporary cease-fire - to any agreement releasing hostages. It has said it will agree to release 40 hostages as part of an initial six-week cease-fire deal that would include the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Hamas also seeks the return of displaced people to devastated northern Gaza and more aid.
Israel's Offer to Allow 2,000 Displaced Palestinians Daily During Cease-fire
Amidst international condemnation of Israeli airstrikes that resulted in the deaths of seven humanitarian workers in Gaza, Israel has proposed permitting only 2,000 displaced Palestinians - predominantly women, children, and older individuals - to travel to the north each day over a six-week cease-fire period.
The Israeli military acknowledged the strike on the humanitarian workers as a tragic mistake, although aid groups argue that such errors are not uncommon. According to the U.N., at least 190 aid workers have been killed in Gaza as of the end of March.
Following the recent events, some of Israel's allies are contemplating halting arms sales to the country. President Biden has cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu that future U.S. support for the conflict hinges on prompt actions taken to safeguard civilians and aid workers.
"We require security assurances not only for ourselves as humanitarians but also for the individuals we are assisting," stated Marika Guderian of the World Food Program from inside Gaza.
Delays in Humanitarian Aid Deliveries
The fatalities resulting from the airstrikes have disrupted humanitarian aid deliveries via a crucial new sea route directly to Gaza. The U.N. and its partners have issued warnings about an "imminent famine" threatening 1.1 million people, which amounts to half of the population. Oxfam reports that individuals in northern Gaza are subsisting on an average of just 245 calories per day.
In Jabaliya, a refugee camp close to Gaza City, families are searching through debris for mallow leaves to create a meager broth to break their fast during Ramadan.
"Life has become miserable. They (daughters) tell me, 'Father, you are feeding us mallow, mallow, mallow every day. We want to eat fish, chicken, canned food. We are craving eggs, or anything,'" said Wael Attar. They shelter in a school as part of the 1.7 million people displaced in Gaza.
Israel has promised to open more border crossings into Gaza and increase the flow of aid. The U.N. says that in March, 85% of trucks with food aid were denied or impeded.
The war's death toll in Gaza is 33,137, the territory's Health Ministry said. Its toll doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants, but it has said women and children make up the majority of the dead.
The ministry said the bodies of 46 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes had been brought to hospitals in the past 24 hours - the lowest such daily tally in months.
Israel has blamed Hamas for civilian deaths in Gaza, accusing it of operating in residential communities and public areas like hospitals.
The U.N. said it finally gained access to Gaza's largest hospital, Shifa, following a dayslong Israeli raid and found what the head of the World Health Organization called "an empty shell with human graves," with most buildings destroyed.
Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah now holds more than half of the territory's 2.3 million people, and Israel's vow to carry out a ground offensive there has caused weeks of dread and warnings even from Israel's top ally, the United States.
In response to Israel's latest suggestion to evacuate civilians from Rafah, an Egyptian official dismissed the proposal as "unrealistic and unworkable." Egypt issued a warning to suspend certain aspects of the Camp David Accords that support security cooperation between the two nations.
