JERUSALEM.- A community that was attacked during the Hamas assault on southern Israel on October 7 reported on Friday the death of one of its residents, who was taken hostage.
The Nir Oz kibbutz community did not reveal the cause of death of 38-year-old Tamir Adar. Of the around 250 captured during the insurgent assault, about 80 were from Nir Oz, which has about 400 inhabitants.
Tamir’s grandmother, Yaffa Adar, 85, was also captured, but was among more than 100 hostages freed during a week-long ceasefire in November. According to Israeli authorities, the insurgents still have 113 hostages, including 19 women and two children under five years old, as well as the bodies of 24 others.
Hamas says it will not release any more captives until Israel ends its offensive and withdraws from Gaza. The Israeli government vowed to crush the insurgent group and bring all the hostages home.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that in the northern Gaza Strip, where entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, there are still several thousand Hamas fighters. There is also intense fighting in the center of the besieged enclave and in the southern city of Khan Younis, where, according to Israeli authorities, the group’s military structure remains largely intact.
The Hamas attack on southern Israel claimed the lives of around 1,200 people.
Israel outlines plan for post-war Gaza
The Israeli Defense Minister outlined a preliminary plan for the administration of the Gaza Strip when the conflict ends and stated that neither Israel nor Hamas govern this Palestinian territory that remains under intense bombardment this Friday.
The plan for the “day after” the war was presented on Thursday night by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, on the eve of the arrival in the Middle East of the head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken.
Blinken undertook his fourth trip to the region since the war broke out between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement. Hamas on October 7.
The future of the small Palestinian territory is at the center of the international community’s concerns, in a context of growing pressure for a ceasefire to protect civilians and UN warnings of a humanitarian crisis that has left thousands of people displaced and exposed to hunger and disease.
“Hamas will not govern Gaza (e) Israel will not govern the civilians of Gaza,” Gallant said, presenting the post-war plan to the press.
“The inhabitants of Gaza are Palestinians. Consequently, Palestinian entities will be in charge (of management) on the condition that there is no hostile action or threat against the State of Israel,” he added.
Under the plan, the Israeli war in the territory will continue until the return of the hostages captured by Israel is ensured. Hamas in the October 7 attacks and ensure that “the military and governance capabilities of Hamas“, which has controlled Gaza since 2007.
After that, according to the plan, a new phase will begin in which Palestinian organizations will assume management of the territory.
Israel vowed to “annihilate” Hamas after the group launched the bloody Oct. 7 attacks, which left 1,140 dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
The Israeli offensive left much of Gaza reduced to rubble and has caused at least 22,438 deaths, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas.
Source: With information from AP/AFP
