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

I can’t see a way Hamas would be allowed to continue.

Does anyone think they should?

If not then whatever happens with hostages they will need to be targeted after

Hamas have said they killed no civilians on October 7th, they've said they took no hostages on that day, and they said this young woman was being cared for in a hospital when they already knew they had murdered her and defiled her body in a lynch mob. Why does anyone believe anything they say?

If you read the thread you'll see that all the info comes from the Israeli gov and her family so no believing of Hamas required

It wasn't the Israelis who told her mother she was in hospital in Gaza.

This is good news

Israel Defense Forces@IDF She is home.

PVT Megidish was abducted by Hamas on October 7. Tonight, she was released during IDF ground operations.

Ori is now home with her family.

Nice to have some good news . I just saw it too 'Last night, soldier Ori Megidish was released during a ground operation after being kidnapped by Hamas on October 7,' the army said in a statement.
'The soldier was medically checked, is doing well, and has met with her family.'
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a photograph of Megidish in which she is seen surrounded with her family members. The photo was also shared by the Israel Defence Forces.

I am deeply suspicious of the posting style on this thread and I ask posters to be wary. Something doesn't sit right and I will share it with Mumsnet but please be careful.

@Trulywonderful I have just read an article about those still in Gaza not being allowed to leave. I keep wondering about the lady that was visiting with her children from Blackpool (it was either on the bbc or channel 4 news) and was stuck in Gaza. I assume she had family there.

What happens if Hamas refuse to let them leave via Egypt?

@Stomacharmeleon did the article you read say what happened with the 500+ US passport holders who were waiting at the Rafah crossing for over a week?

Saw that the Scottish FMs parents-in-law still there - yesterday they had run out of water

I have not read anything about her so far. If I see anything I will try and let you know

Apparently Hamas has told British citizens they can't leave. I presume the same has happened for other foreign nationals too, at least Americans and Europeans or something. However it could easily be all foreign nationals or just British. The information isn't clear at the moment

The only thing that is clear is that around 200 British passport holders have been told by Hamas they cannot leave. Plus some ministers are saying they should know be declared hostages too

Hopefully this is a temporary situation, we will have to see what happens

@Efacsen I thought under the Philadelphia Accord Egypt had control of the Rafa crossing and has done since 2005 and the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza.

So can Egypt not let them out so they can be repatriated?

IIRC it was about 15 days ago the Egyptian authorities said that the overseas passport holders could leave when they opened the crossing to let the convoys of aid into Gaza - the convoys started and then it all went quiet

That week there were reports of some 'strange goings on' at border crossing Hamas started hanging around/chasing people away, an Israeli tank accidently damaged part of the border wall and formally apologised to Egypt, etc

Since then I've not read anything else official from Egypt who sound very very fed-up

Egypt control there side. However Hamas controls its own side and does its own checks. Much like if you travel through any border, both side do checks.

I can't tell if Hamas have literally told people not to go to the border or else. Similarly to when they tried to stop Gazens heading south or if it is their border guards stopping people. The information isn't great at the moment.

If push comes to shove you would hope Egypt move forwards and overpower the Hamas border. Then take over policing it completely. However this would mean them entering Gaza and they won't do that. Also they don't want responsibility for the Gazans in anyway of they can help it. This would mean they are responsible up to a point.

BBC have just said shani was found in Gaza.

We were expecting a sea of foreign national to come out once they started opening the border for aid. This definitely hasn't happened because they would be telling their stories all over the media by now

Oh no poor Shani and poor Shanis mum and sister

that's so awful

Apologies to all on this thread for the momentary tangent, but honestly @Parkingt111 behave. You’ve posted hundreds and hundreds of times on many, many threads. I’ve sometimes found your conduct and language on here offensive and disrespectful, particularly regarding the hostages, but we’ve interacted maybe five times? If you didn’t like what I said so be it, but accusing me of some non-existent bias and throwing a tantrum when I disagree with you is extremely tiresome. I disagree with some of the things you post on here and the way you say them. I can challenge and question them. It’s not personal. If you’re so oversensitive to criticism, maybe you should take a break?

Peace out.

Amen.

Some of the media seem to have picked up the story about the extra hostages Hamas has now made of foreign nationals. Still not great amount of information out there yet. However a little more information:

"Egyptians are prepared to let Americans and other foreign nationals out of Gaza.

The Israelis have no issue with that.

But Hamas is preventing their departure and making a series of demands.”

I am not sure what type of demands are being made or the nature of them yet

Shalom

If you find it offensive then feel free to report the posts that you do
My intention at no point was to cause offence
I have read through my posts again to see if I come across as offensive unintentionally but I can't see it.

Peace

@Trulywonderful I they are bargaining chips like the hostages. Refusing to let them leave and no one being able/ afraid to say that as they are trapped leaves Hamas in a win-win situation.
If Hamaz Yousaf's in laws are being prevented from leaving then surely that's diplomatic and he should be looking to Hamas as to why that's the case?
If Egypt are happy to let them through then something is making them stay and I am not sure all will be of the ' we will all be martyrs soon anyway' ilk. (That was just in ch4 news btw and a man in Gaza- not Hamas)

Yes there is a good chance they are now more bargaining chips. However hard to say if that or just a lot of haggling that may get resolved quickly.

My guess would be they are know basically like hostages but I am hoping this will not be the case.

Yousaf is an interesting situation for sure. He was busy blaming everyone but Hamas. However as his inlaws are stuck in Gaza that is a surprise. It would be unsafe for them if he did anything else. However he would probably have been an apologist anyway. SNP have some iffy politics. Wonder what he is going to say if Hamas do stop the inlaws from leaving long term. My guess is it will be everyone else but Hamas fault.

He said yesterday that the in-laws had no water - they'll not be used to drinking contaminated Gazan water and whilst they aren't old they aren't young either

Yes I know

He seems to know have only been saying this same thing for the past two weeks though. Aside from confirming that he has had contact and they are still ok/alive

Obviously that statement is important. However looking at it with this latest border news it is interesting. If his inlaws have called he knows far more and could be saying more. Yet he is only saying the same thing for two weeks. It doesn't seem like him to be this stum. He obviously knows they have been told they can't leave by Hamas etc

Didn't realise the no water thing had been going on for so long

They must also be under pressure to move south as they're in a N Gaza City suburb and ??IDF possibly looking to encircle the city

Nightmare for them - and thousands of others of course