Israelis held hostage (part 2)

Part 3

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/conflict-in-the-middle-east/4967031-israelis-held-hostage-in-gaza-part-3

This is the thing that makes me cross. Hamas can say they will play ball and release hostages but then as with the Bibas family play dumb and say... we Don't have them.

This is why it's imperative the Red Cross are allowed to check on hostages whoever has them. As soon as it happened I was concerned this would occur. Someone else would be blamed, responsibility shifted. Either they have control or they don't? Hamas are just charlatans.

I have a horrible feeling she'd have been better off with Hamas, as they at least will have approached the hostage taking with a slightly more coherent political strategy.

I have read today that it appears Noa Argamani is not with Hamas at all not with Gazan 'civilians' who participated in 7/10.

Her family must be beside themselves. I just pray she is being treated well.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67768062

Hamas leader left his luxury life in Qatar to attend talks. If he actually lived in Gaza he might consider the impact of the people more. It barely appears to impact him.

I suppose he is needed for negotiations and like @EllaDisenchanted I’m also not really sure who would initiate his arrest.

Yes! I hope they at least give the hostages families the peace of mind that comes with certainty. Then again there are many families in Gaza who don’t know what has happened to their children, so they might not have the heart to do that. I think if they want to continue trying to destroy each other, and inadvertently themselves, then they should carry on going lower and lower with their barbaric actions. If they want peace then they should take the difficult step of aiming to be better than those they perceive as their enemy. To me, the latter is a sign of strength, and the former a sign of weakness.

@Parkingt111 this is his second trip to Egypt since 7/10 ! As political leader of Hamas he's been on some kind of US no-fly list since Bush's era - expect he has a private jet. takes his armed bodyguards and is back home in double quick time

However, all those precautions didn't save the founder of Wagner in the long run and Hanieya's luck will eventually run out too when he's no longer of use in the ongoing negotiations

The reports I have seen also mention the release of hostages who are men.
I hope that as part of the deal they have to say who they know for sure is alive, as the not knowing for the families is torture.

Oh yes I suppose he can only be arrested if he enters a non neutral country

It’s also all men in the video. Not a good sign in my opinion.

I'm not sure who would arrest him? He came from Qatar to Egypt, I don’t think either country would because wouldn’t it be seen to be stepping in in a major (non neutral) way?

I think Hamas are releasing hostage videos now so to get the public to put pressure on the government to accept a deal. I don't doubt that the timing was strategically thought out on when to release the videos and I'm sure they did this before the last negotiations too, it all seems very cold and calculated.
Also how is he just casually flying around? Would he not be arrested?

Haniyeh has arrived in Egypt

Haniyeh arrives in Egypt for hostage talks - Hamas statementHamas has confirmed its political leader Ismail Haniyeh has arrived in Egypt for talks over a potential hostage-ceasefire deal.
"This Wednesday morning, the Mujahid brother Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, arrived in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to hold discussions with Egyptian officials about developments in the Zionist aggression against the Gaza Strip and many other files," a Hamas statement read.
Mr Haniyeh travelled from Doha this morning, having met with the Iranian foreign minister before departing.

@PeasfullPerson Amen

I didn’t know that Noa Argamani’s mother has stage 4 brain cancer and not that long left to live 😞 How very sad. I hope that she gets her daughter home soon, or at least learns what’s happened to her.

Much as I hope that no more families in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel are torn apart.

Please please please let something positive be happening!

Haniyeh arriving in Egypt today to discuss possibly ceasefire.

@EllaDisenchanted so many leaks and so many contradictory versions of what is happening but definitely sounds like something positive is afoot - see that Ismail Haniyeh, senior Hamas leader, is expected in Egypt today for 'ceasefire and prisoner exchange talks'

The plight of the hostages seems more acute than ever

Only seen one source for this, so I do not know how verifiable it is, but it’s from Stand with us which as far as I know are a pretty reputable source :

“breaking: Israel informed Qatar that it would be ready for at least a week long truce in the fighting in Gaza in exchange for the release of about 40 hostages held by Hamas”.

there’s still confusion about who is holding the hostages. Nothing further coming out about the Bibas family, or about Noa Argamani whose mother is dying.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/noa-argamani-was-abducted-not-by-hamas-but-by-civilian-mob-nbc-report-suggests/amp/

Wow.

First bit, family member taken hostage and the callous disregard.

Is the second clip he is asking for them to get medication to him son and they sit there and one there casually eating looks disinterested.

They and the UN are very vocal when they want to be though it just feels very cruel not to even ask. And then the response can be seen.

I can guess why they Don't though and it's very one sided.

https://m.jpost.com/israel-news/article-777223 it’s possible they don’t have any power and really can’t do much, but this seems very cruel and callous to me.

https://x.com/n12news/status/1735771255221993676?s=46 you can hear his desperation. They reportedly wouldn’t take a photo with the hostage families either.

@SomeCatFromJapan historically, there are good reasons why Israelis (and more specifically Jews) may be uneasy with the Red Cross.
It took them over 50 years to let in the Magen David Aron ambulance service (the Israeli Red Cross) because the emblem was the Magen David. Started up in 1930, it took until 2006 to be admitted. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magen_David_Adom
Add to that their historic (catastrophic) failures with the concentration camps in the holocaust (ie ‘lessons were learned’) and you can see why now when they’ve really not been seen to visibly make much effort on behalf of the hostages, there is not much faith in the organization from Jews/ Israelis.

(I’m not denying the good work they do internationally, just explaining a bit of context)

@EllaDisenchanted I have seen that too and it's heartbreaking. The Red Cross say they can't take medication and quite rightly they are asked why they haven't even tried....

Why haven't they tried?

I'm starting to understand more why Israel feel organisations like the Red Cross and the UN are partisan.