Jerusalem: Israeli state media reported that the Israeli army’s fighting in the Gaza Strip is over. It also claimed that the Israeli army has eliminated Hamas’ Rafah brigade. Citing senior security officials, Israel’s state-owned Kan TV said Israel would now return to Gaza only “when there is new intelligence”, but in general the Israeli army’s action in Gaza has ended.
Rafah brigade does not exist
According to the channel, the Israeli army reported that Hamas’ Rafah brigade has been eliminated and it no longer exists. It also said that these things were said at the political level during discussions to assess the security situation in the past few days, Xinhua news agency reported.
Talks for the release of hostages
Kan TV said that senior Israeli defense officials also said that when most of Hamas’s combat units are disbanded, it will be the right time to initiate the hostage deal. The channel also reported that the Israeli delegation participating in the talks for a ceasefire in Gaza on Friday did not arrive in Qatar by plane due to fear of Iranian attack. The delegation landed in Abu Dhabi, UAE and left for Doha by road and not by plane. A joint statement issued by the US, Egypt and Qatar on Friday said that “in the last 48 hours, senior officials in Doha have held talks as mediators, with the aim of reaching an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages”.
I am optimistic about the agreement for the release of hostages: Biden
US President Joe Biden appeared extremely confident about the prospects of a ceasefire and a hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. He said, “We are much closer to an agreement this time than we have ever been before.” “I don’t want to make a negative comment, but the ceasefire is much closer than it was three days ago,” Biden said while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office after two days of talks in Doha. In this two-day talks, it was agreed to continue the talks next week. This is not the first time in the ten-month-long war that Biden has expressed hope about an agreement. Biden said on Friday, “We may have something. But we are not there yet.