‘We will complete the victory’ soon in Gaza: Netanyahu
At a meeting with Jewish community leaders in Hungary, Prime Minister Netanyahu said his military is winning “a war on seven fronts for the eternity of Israel” at a historic moment.
“With God’s help we will complete the victory in the near future,” Netanyahu said, according to his office. Victory will require the return of all captives held in Gaza, he said, adding “our soldiers are fighting and putting pressure on the Hamas monsters.”
Earlier, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir met with families of the captives in Israel and said returning them is a “top priority” – despite expanding attacks and a ground invasion of Gaza.
The families have remained unconvinced, protesting at the government and calling for a resumption of the ceasefire deal with Hamas to release all captives.
Hamas: Half of living captives held in Gaza areas under Israeli siege
Abu Obeida, spokesman of the military wing of Hamas, has warned that some of the captives who are still alive in Gaza may be in imminent danger:
- Half of the living enemy prisoners are in areas the occupation army has requested to be evacuated in recent days.
- We decided not to transfer these prisoners from these areas, and to keep them under strict security measures, which are extremely dangerous to their lives.
- If the enemy is concerned about the lives of these prisoners, they must immediately negotiate for their evacuation or release. He who warns is excused.
- The Netanyahu government bears full responsibility for their lives. If it were concerned about them it would have adhered to the agreement it signed in January. Most would probably be in their homes today.
Eleventh MSF worker killed in Gaza, says medical charity
Doctors Without Borders (also known by its French acronym, MSF) says that another of its staff members has been killed in Gaza, in an Israeli air strike alongside his family members.
MSF said it was “appalled and saddened by the killing of our colleague Hussam Al Loulou by an airstrike on the morning of 1 April”. “Our colleague Hussam was killed along with hundreds of others across the Gaza Strip since the resumption of attacks by Israeli forces on 18 March,” the medical charity said.
The 58-year-old watchman at MSF’s urgent care unit in Khan Younis was killed along with his wife and 28-year-old daughter in the “horrendous attack” southwest of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, MSF said.
Al Loulou is the 11th MSF worker killed in Gaza since the start of the war on the enclave. The organisation hailed Al Loulou for his “selflessness, humility and genuine care for those around him”, adding that he was survived by two sons.
“We strongly condemn his killing and call yet again for the immediate restoration of the ceasefire and protection of civilians,” MSF said. “This bloodshed needs to end.”
Hundreds of aid workers have been killed in Gaza since the war began.
