Middle East: Hostage families criticize Israeli war plans

More than 200 international journalists are calling on Israel to allow  "immediate and unsupervised foreign press access to the Gaza Strip."

Launched by the Freedom to Report initiative, the petition criticizes Israeli-imposed restrictions on foreign reporting from the territory that "silence independent observation."  

It has been signed by many prominent journalists including Christiane Amanpour, Anderson Cooper, Clarissa Ward, and Mehdi Hassan. 

"When governments can unilaterally shut down access to war zones ... They undermine the very foundation of democracy: press freedom as a check on power," the petition reads. 

Some journalists have been allowed to enter Gaza with the Israeli military, but most reporting from the enclave is being done by Palestinian journalists living there.

Last month, the Associated Press, AFP, BBC News and Reuters published a joint statement that their journalists in Gaza were facing "dire circumstances" and were "increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families."

Since the war began after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel, 186 journalists have been killed in Gaza and 90 have been imprisoned, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.  

On Friday, dozens of members of the International News Safety Institute, a nonprofit group, issued a statement calling on Israel to allow journalists in Gaza who are facing starvation to leave the enclave, and for international reporters to be allowed entry.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene a cabinet meeting later this week on how to proceed with  the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu said the cabinet will meet to "instruct the (army) on how to achieve the three war objectives we have set," with the three objectives being the defeat of Hamas, the release of the hostages held in the enclave and "the promise that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel."

Yesterday, hostage family members criticized Netanyahu for his intention to further expand the war in Gaza, potentially putting hostages at risk, saying the Israeli leader would lead Israel and the hostages "into destruction."

If Hamas grants access, Red Cross doctors could enter the area where Israeli hostages are held to provide medical care.

The development follows the release of harrowing videos showing emaciated captives.

However, Hamas says medical access depends on the opening of humanitarian corridors across the entire Gaza Strip.

DW speaks with Sarah Davies from the ICRC about the proposed operation.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Monday said the hostages held in Gaza should be top of the global agenda.

Saar was speaking to the press ahead of a trip to New York to take part in a special UN Security Council session about the hostages' situation.

"The world must put an end to the phenomenon of kidnapping civilians," he said.

"It must be front and center on the world stage," he added. 

Fifty Israeli hostages are still held by Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, with some 20 of them believed to be still alive.

The special security council meeting was called after Hamas and Islamic Jihad published videos last week showing two hostages appearing weak and emaciated, causing shock and distress in Israel. 

Germany's Interior Ministry said it is reviewing the feasibility of bringing children from Gaza to Germany for treatment.

According to a ministry spokesperson, the project depends "crucially" on the security situation, the possibility of leaving the country, and other factors.

No formal inquiries have been received from German cities, the spokesperson said. However, the cities of Hanover and Düsseldorf have already said they would accept children from the Gaza Strip and Israel who need treatment.

Responding to the idea of flying patients from Gaza to Germany, a spokesperson for the German Chancellery reacted cautiously.

"We'd only be talking about a handful of people, and there would be numerous other questions to clarify," the spokesperson told German broadcaster RTL/ntv.

Lebanon is marking five years since the explosion at Beirut's port that killed more than 220 people and injured over 6,500.

No one has been held accountable for the 2020 blast, and demonstrations are expected across the country demanding justice and the identification of those responsible.

In a statement, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun promised that "justice is coming."

According to Aoun, Lebanon is "committed to uncovering the whole truth, no matter the obstacles or how high the positions" involved.

"The law applies to all, without exception," Aoun said.

The anniversary has been declared a national day of mourning. 

Hundreds of retired Israeli security officials have called on US President Donald Trump to pressure the Israeli government to end the war in Gaza.

An open letter signed by 550 individuals, including former heads of intelligence agencies, urged Trump to "steer" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toward a ceasefire.

"It is our professional judgment that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel," the letter reads, with former internal security service head Ami Ayalon stating that the country has "achieved all military objectives."

According to the signatories, a ceasefire in Gaza could pave the way for a regional coalition to support a reformed Palestinian Authority in taking control of the Gaza Strip.

After failed negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a ceasefire and hostage release deal, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is determined to "release the hostages through decisive military victory," Israeli media reported, citing a diplomatic source.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents most of the hostages' families, responded to the reports by saying Netanyahu is "leading Israel and the hostages to devastation," calling attempts to free hostages through military action a "fraud" and an "illusion."

This follows the release of two videos by Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, showing Israeli hostages who appear pale and emaciated. In one video, a hostage is seen digging what appears to be his own grave, barely able to hold a shovel.

A year ago, six Israeli hostages were killed after their Hamas captors believed the Israeli army was closing in on their hideout.

Hamas has said it is willing to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to the Israeli hostages it has held for 667 days, on the condition that "humanitarian corridors" are opened across all areas of the Gaza Strip."

The statement follows the release of two videos by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, showing Israeli hostages appearing gaunt and in visibly poor condition.

The groups said they were ready to cooperate and deliver food to those they are holding if Israel agrees to open humanitarian corridors across the entire Gaza Strip. 

In response, the ICRC said it was "appalled" by the footage and reiterated its call for immediate access to the hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had asked the organization to help deliver medical aid to the hostages, describing the videos as a source of "profound shock."

We're tracking the latest developments in Israel's war in Gaza, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly considering expanding the Israeli military's operations into areas where Israeli hostages are believed to be held.

This follows the release of two videos showing Israeli hostages in visibly deteriorating health, one of them pale and gaunt, the other reportedly forced to dig his own grave.

The footage was published by Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Stay with us for news, analysis, and explainers on the situation in Gaza, Israel, and the wider Middle East.