Hamas said it is ready to coordinate with the Red Cross to deliver humanitarian aid to hostages held in Gaza, if Israel meets certain conditions, as outrage mounts over the deteriorating condition of captives and a rising death toll from hunger.
The announcement on Sunday followed the release of a disturbing video showing Israeli hostage Evyatar David, severely emaciated and digging what he says, is his own grave.
The footage, Hamas’s second video of David in two days, drew condemnation from France, Germany, the UK, and the United States, while Israeli officials said they were pushing for an emergency United Nations Security Council session on the plight of hostages.
Hamas said it would allow coordination with the Red Cross only if Israel permanently opens humanitarian corridors and halts airstrikes during aid distribution. So far, the group has denied any humanitarian organisation access to hostages, leaving families with little to no information about their condition.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he urged the Red Cross to assist the hostages during talks with the head of its local delegation.
According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages remain in Gaza, but only 20 are believed to be alive.
The Hostages Families Forum, representing relatives of those held, said Hamas's latest statement “cannot whitewash” the fact that captives have been kept in “impossible conditions for over 660 days”.
“Hamas kidnapped them and they must care for them,” the group said. “Every hostage who dies will be on Hamas’s hands.”
Meanwhile, Gaza's health ministry said six more people died of starvation or malnutrition in the last 24 hours, raising the toll to 175 since the start of the war, including 93 children.
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The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
Georgia’s foreign trade data for January-July 2026 shows Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia as its top three export markets, highlighting its Middle Corridor ambitions and complex economic ties with Moscow.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
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