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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U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said talks between Russia and Ukraine had brought “meaningful progress” towards ending the war, as negotiations moved into a second day in Geneva.
The United States and Iran reported measured progress after a new round of indirect talks in Geneva aimed at resolving the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
An unidentified man was taken into custody on Tuesday (17 February) after running towards the U.S. Capitol carrying a loaded shotgun and wearing tactical gear, according to Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan.
Peru’s Congress has voted to censure and remove José Enrique Jeri Ore from his posts as President of Congress and acting President of the Republic, just four months into his tenure, citing undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessmen and alleged hiring irregularities.
Cuba’s fuel crisis has turned into a waste crisis, with rubbish piling up on most street corners in Havana as many collection trucks lack enough petrol to operate.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy held military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday (16 February), state-linked media reported. The drill took place a day before renewed nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington in Geneva.
The 2026 Munich Security Conference (MSC) unfolded over three intense days in Munich, confronting a defining question of our era: has the post-Second World War international order collapsed - and if so, what will replace it?
Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced on 16 February that the Honourable Janice Charette has been appointed as the next Chief Trade Negotiator to the United States. She's been tasked with overseeing the upcoming review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
Ruben Vardanyan has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Baku Military Court after being found guilty of a series of offences including war crimes, terrorism and crimes against humanity.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said talks between Russia and Ukraine had brought “meaningful progress” towards ending the war, as negotiations moved into a second day in Geneva.
The United States and Iran reported measured progress after a new round of indirect talks in Geneva aimed at resolving the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
An unidentified man was taken into custody on Tuesday (17 February) after running towards the U.S. Capitol carrying a loaded shotgun and wearing tactical gear, according to Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan.
Peru’s Congress has voted to censure and remove José Enrique Jeri Ore from his posts as President of Congress and acting President of the Republic, just four months into his tenure, citing undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessmen and alleged hiring irregularities.
France celebrated Olympic gold in the men’s biathlon relay in Anterselva on Tuesday (17 February), following a thrilling race marked by an electric atmosphere at the stadium.
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