Israel-Hamas war: Netanyahu hints at possible deal to free hostages; sends fuel to Gaza hospital

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday hinted towards a possible deal to free hostages held by the Hamas group in Gaza, however, did not provide any details for fear of scuttling the potential plan. “I think the less I say about it, the more I'll increase the chances that it materializes,” he said while speaking to NBC. Netanyahu added, “We heard that there was an impending deal of this kind or of that kind and then we learned that it was all hokum. But the minute we started the ground operation, that began to change.”

CHECK ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR LIVE UPDATES

The war between Israel and Hamas has intensified over the past few weeks. Israel has been launching massive retaliatory assaults against Gaza's Hamas rulers after its fighters carried out an attack on October 7 in which at least 1,400 people were killed. According to the health ministry in Gaza, over 10,000 Palestinians including children have been killed in the Israeli strikes so far.

Here are the latest updates on the Israel-Hamas war:

1. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Sunday said their troops delivered 300 litres of fuel to the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza for urgent medical purposes, however, the Hamas declined the offer. “Our troops risked their lives to hand-deliver 300 litres of fuel to the Shifa hospital for urgent medical purposes. Hamas forbade the hospital from taking it. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry has been warning for weeks that its hospitals are running out of fuel. If so, why would they prevent the hospital from receiving it?” the IDF wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
2. However, Hamas denied that it had refused the fuel from Israel. The offer belittles the pain and suffering of the patients who are trapped inside without water, food, or electricity. This quantity is not enough to operate hospital generators for more than thirty minutes," Hamas said in a statement.
3. After losing contact for a brief period of time, the World Health Organization (WHO) managed to restore communication with health professionals at the Al-Shifa hospital, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday. "Regrettably, the hospital is not functioning as a hospital anymore," he said.
4. According to Gaza's minister of health Mai al-Kaila, the Al-Shifa hospital is struggling to bury the remains of at least 100 people who were killed in recent days following relentless Israeli bombardment of the besieged enclave, reported Al Jazeera citing Wafa news agency.
5. Attacks by Lebanon's Hezbollah group wounded seven Israeli troops and 10 other people, Israel's military and rescue services said.
6. Israel PM on Sunday met with a bipartisan US Congressional delegation led by House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (Republican-Texas) at the Kirya (IDF headquarters) in Tel Aviv. During the meeting, the delegation presented Netanyahu with two declarations supporting Israel and its right to defend itself and to defeat Hamas - one declaration by the Senate and one by the House of Representatives.
7. US President Joe Biden on Sunday spoke to Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani about developments in Gaza and "urgent ongoing efforts" to secure the release of hostages being held by the Hamas.
8. Meanwhile, more than 180,000 people across France, including 100,000 in Paris, marched peacefully on Sunday to protest against rising antisemitism in the wake of Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.

(With inputs from agencies)