WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s envoy Adam Boehler says direct US meetings with Hamas on the release of captives in Gaza were extremely “helpful”, Al Jazeera reports.
He did not rule out additional encounters with the Palestinian group.
Boehler said in an interview on the NBC News programme ‘Meet the Press’ that he believes something could “come together on Gaza within weeks”, but did not elaborate.
Hamas says it may release US-Israeli hostage as part of talks to end Gaza conflict
Hamas told US officials it is open to releasing American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander as part of talks to end the fighting in Gaza, senior Hamas official Taher Al-Nono said, Reuters reports citing Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV outlet.
Several meetings had taken place between leaders of the Palestinian group Hamas and US hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler, Taher Al-Nono, the political advisor of the Hamas chief confirmed to Reuters.
Father of Israeli captive says ‘no answers’ after Netanyahu meeting
Hagai Angrest, whose 22-year-old soldier son, Matan, remains in Hamas’s captivity in Gaza, has said he received no assurances from the Israeli government about his son’s return, Al Jazeera reports.
“We didn’t get answers about if and when Matan will be released,” Angrest told Israeli media. “If my son does not come out of Gaza, every Israeli mother will know when she sends her son to the army that he will not return if he falls into captivity.”
Hamas released a video on Friday showing Matan is still alive, Al Jazeera added.
Damaged dialysis unit in north Gaza reopens
The only facility providing life-saving dialysis for children in northern Gaza is working again after being attacked by the Israeli military, Al Jazeera reports.
Dr Nabil Ayad, head of the nephrology department at Al-Rantisi Hospital for Children, said before Israel’s offensive on Gaza, the dialysis unit operated 14 machines and provided treatment to 45 Palestinian children.
“Each received dialysis three times a week for four hours a session. But after the army bombed the facility, a few children died without the procedure or the required medication,” said Ayad.
“During the war, this unit was partially destroyed. We tried multiple times to restore operations, and eventually, we managed to repair and reopen the unit and begin accepting dialysis patients. Right now, we are providing hemodialysis to 12 children,” he added.
