In the latest update in the war between Israel and Hamas, Qatar’s prime minister says a deal is “within reach” to release the over 200 hostages being held by Hamas, following the October 7th attack on Israel.
Meanwhile, more progress has been made in evacuation efforts in Gaza.
Many of the lives being discussed are women and children. That’s according to sources from Israel and the United States.
They add any deal must involve Hamas releasing at least 50 Israeli women and children, plus dozens of foreign nationals throughout the course of a five-day ceasefire.
In turn, Israel says they would release some Palestinian women and minors in its jails.
But while all that is in the works, inside the war zone in Gaza, the World Health Organization says at least 28 premature babies have also been evacuated out of the territory and sent to Egyptian hospitals.
They also say to expect more births from at least 5,000 women in Gaza next month.
Efforts made to help the infants and potential hostages hope to result in all of them reconnecting with their families, like Thomas Hand, an Israeli father from Ireland who says his 9-year-old daughter was kidnapped by Hamas.
“It’s a nightmare. An absolute nightmare. We pray that we get them back. I pray I get Emily back. I don’t know what conditions she’s gonna be in, but she’s gonna be broken, very broken, mentally and physically. And we will have to fix that,” Hand said.
John Kirby from White House National Security says there is no update on the hostage deal that the US is trying to negotiate.
“As you heard the Deputy National Security Adviser say yesterday, we believe we’re closer than we’ve ever been. So we’re hopeful. But there’s still work to be done and nothing is done until it’s all done,” Kirby said.
Also, five Canadian MPs are in Israel today on a bipartisan trip they say is meant to show solidarity and meet with survivors from the October 7th attack.
The trip comes as no Canadian names were on the foreign nationals list to enter into Egypt through the Rafah land crossing today.
Last Friday, Global Affairs said a total of 376 Canadians and their families have been able to cross over.
