Gaza: The Palestinian group Hamas has said that it is ready to “immediately” engage in negotiations to end the war in Gaza “once aid reaches those who deserve it and the humanitarian crisis and famine in Gaza are ended”, Al Jazeera reported, citing the group’s statement released via its Telegram channel.
“Continuing negotiations in the shadow of starvation lose their substance and usefulness, especially after the criminal Zionist occupation withdrew from the negotiations last week without justification, at a time when we were on the verge of reaching an agreement”, the statement reads.
Israel indeed walked away from negotiations last week after Hamas submitted what it said was a “positive” and “constructive” response to the latest proposal for a ceasefire it was handed.
On the other hand, local hospitals have said that at least two more Palestinians were reported to have died from Israel’s forced starvation in the last 24 hours, Al Jazeera reported, citing hospital sources.
That brings the total number of hunger-related fatalities since Israel’s war began to 159.
Infants have been particularly vulnerable, with shortages of infant formula leaving new mothers with few options.
Of those who died from starvation, at least 90 were children. UN officials have repeatedly called on Israel to allow an uninterrupted flow of aid supplies.
