Hostages

[TakeMe2Insanity]

This is running on Al Jazeera and others - apparently Israel refused to take back two hostages.

https://english.alarabiya.net/amp/News/middle-east/2023/10/21/Hamas-says-intended-to-release-two-hostages-but-Israel-refused-to-receive-them

Amen
It's really frustrating that there are little kids being held and all the power and leaders in the world can't negotiate and get them out.
Atleast the children

I don't have much hope in Netanyahu but I think this time Biden is really pushing for it
And trying to get Netanyahu to agree

There was another bit since I posted about children, women and the sick being prioritised which was good to see

Can only hope that something positive will come out of this

I hope so
Rafah border is closed again today so unfortunately I don't think any dual nationals can leave
I read somewhere that there are still alot of Americans stuck in Gaza that have been unable to leave

2 days without humanitarian aid too due to border closure - and all those poor people pouring out of Gaza City to a 'safer' place

@Efacsen @Parkingt111 do we know why it's shot at the moment?

It says 'unspecified security circumstance'
But that the US is working with Israel and Egypt to try to have it reopened

US reported a 'security incident' yesterday but did not explain what the incident was - they did say it wasn't permanent

Couldn't see anything on twitter that explained it either

I just have a really uneasy feeling that things are about to get alot worse
There the G7 summit and there's alot being said
Just read a statement where the ICC is being requested to issue arrest warrants for Hamas and Israeli military leaders for war crimes il try and find it

@Stomacharmeleon

I'm hoping this will put greater pressure on both sides and in the process negotiate a release of hostages

This is an interesting shift of emphasis [below]- saw a long and apparently well-informed post on another thread about how the Israeli economy is teetering particularly with the cost of the Iron Dome discharges costing 50K a go and the relentless Hamas rocket fire

Defence minister, Yoav Gallant, has said Israel is in a “prolonged war”.

“We need to resolve things quickly, even if not perfectly,” Gallant said during a meeting with directors general of government ministries and local officials, according to the Times of Israel news outlet.

He said the military’s plan was to stop Hamas rocket fire so that Israeli public life near Gaza could continue.

“We are in a prolonged war, and the issue of the [Israeli] civilian economy is a main factor in the management of the war,” he was quoted as saying.

@Efacsen War is never good for the economy. Not sure about 'quickly, even if not perfectly' it's not words you normally want to hear a military using

In other positive news the latest update:

@Efacsen @Stomacharmeleon
Fingers crossed

@Parkingt111 fingers-crossed

Also the four hour pauses are going ahead
Biden said he's pushing for a 3 day pause but he's a snake and I don't trust him one bit

Video footage has been released of the boy. I'm not sharing it, it's on Twitter. He's 12. His 16 year old brother was kidnapped at the same time.

There's also a photograph of an elderly lady who is presumably the other hostage mentioned.

Four hour pauses are a good plan, better than a longer pause, as Hamas terrorists with more notice of a pause and with 3 day pauses would have used it to continue to engage in war against Israel.

Rafah crossing has re-opened for medical evacuees, foreign passport holders and humanitarian aid

No further explanation as to why it closed

The Guardian is saying that apparently Hamas tried to negotiate the release of a large number of hostages for a 5 day pause even before the invasion. But Netanyahu said no
This isn't verified but The Guardian don't normally post sensationalist content for views

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/09/netanyahu-rejected-ceasefire-for-hostages-deal-in-gaza-sources-say

I think US is trying really really hard for a longer pause
Although at the moment it doesn't seem that Netanyahu is being swayed into agreeing

@Parkingt111 I am not making excuses but merely wondering is it a big 'one out all out' scenario? So that those left behind don't just disappear. Particularly the soldiers.

I know I have said this before but I would like the babies and toddlers out now. Especially those without their parents.

Also the latest releases show there are more than one terrorist organisation at play. May prove Hamas saying ' we Don't know where they are'

I just keep thinking of individual cases rather than the homogeneous mass of ' the hostages' like the girl who was put on the back of the bike at the rave and the soldier (female) who was pulled from a boot of a jeep by her hair onto the back seat.

I just wish they would say who is ok and who is no longer alive (if that's the case)

I am avoiding the 'mad bad Israel' v misunderstood Hamas threads now. I honestly think is academic. I think Israel will see this through. I think Biden is paying lip service. Releasing the odd ' well we tried' statement.

I wish they would open the border for all to go and Middle Eastern countries could support that. Their silence is deafening and I think people should think about why.....

Anyway just my thoughts.

Not sure they even know who they’ve got (nor Israel). Think yesterday was discovered that someone from where I’m from was death in Israel rather than taken hostage.

as you say as well, after todays video of the elderly woman and the child , seems like it’s hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad also have hostages. So they might not even know who has got who. Seems like they’re releasing vulnerable people and wish they did the kids / babies as well.

Just seen in bbc that Hamas is saying that releasing hostages needs bigger pause of ceasefire

@Stomacharmeleon 100% about the babies and toddlers. But so many people seem against a ceasefire if it means just a few hostages are released. You have seen yourself on these threads.
My personal thinking Is if they even agree to stop fighting for a day to atleast save the vulnerable (elderly and young) isn't it worth it? Shouldn't we give atleast this much value to the lives of these innocent people

I think Biden is just saying these things to save his own back. He doesn't think Netanyahu will still be leader after the war anyway but he must be certainly worried about elections coming up next month

Next month? Is that for the Democratic Party? Unsure who is running but hope someone better than him (and not only for this , I really haven’t liked him at all these years)