Hamas announced today that it is ready to deliver aid to the hostages it is holding in Gaza with the Red Cross, if Israel meets certain conditions.
This stance followed the release of a video showing a very emaciated hostage, which drew sharp criticism from Western powers.
Hamas said that any coordination with the Red Cross was conditional on the permanent opening of humanitarian corridors and the cessation of airstrikes during aid distribution.
According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, of whom only 20 are believed to be alive.
Hamas has banned humanitarian organizations from any access to the hostages, and families have little or no information about their condition.
On Saturday, Hamas released a second video of Israeli hostage Eviatar David, appearing malnourished, digging a hole that he said would be his grave.
France, Germany, Britain and the United States are among the countries that have criticized the release of the video, and the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that the UN Security Council will hold a special session tomorrow morning on the issue of the hostage situation in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that he had asked the Red Cross to provide humanitarian aid to the hostages, Reuters reports.
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