Israel on Tuesday mourned the deaths of four captives reported by the army to have died in Gaza, amid growing doubts and international pressure over a ceasefire and hostage release plan outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden.
In the besieged Palestinian territory, Israeli strikes continued early Tuesday, particularly in Bureij in central Gaza, where local hospital sources reported several deaths.
In northern Israel, firefighters and troops were battling forest blazes after rocket fire from neighboring Lebanon. The border area has seen near-daily exchanges of fire between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, a militant group allied with Hamas, since the start of the war in Gaza nearly eight months ago.
On Monday, Israel’s military announced the deaths of four hostages seized during the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The deceased were identified as Chaim Perry, Yoram Metzger, Amiram Cooper, and Nadav Popplewell. Their bodies are still held by Hamas.
Cooper, 84, Metzger, 80, and Perry, 80, were abducted from the Nir Oz kibbutz, while Israeli-British citizen Popplewell, 51, was kidnapped from the Nirim kibbutz. British Foreign Minister David Cameron expressed his sorrow over Popplewell’s death and reiterated the demand for Hamas to release all hostages.
The Hostages Families Forum stated, “They should have returned alive to their country and their families.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leading a fragile hard-right coalition government, is facing intense domestic pressure. Relatives and supporters of hostages have staged mass protests demanding a truce deal, but Netanyahu’s far-right coalition allies threaten to bring down the government if he agrees to such a deal.
Biden on Friday presented a three-phase plan to end the conflict, free all hostages, and lead to the reconstruction of Gaza without Hamas in power. However, Netanyahu’s office emphasized that the war would continue until all of Israel’s goals, including the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, are achieved.
The G7 group of countries expressed support for Biden’s deal and urged Hamas to accept it. Hamas initially viewed Biden’s outline positively but has not officially commented on stalled negotiations.
Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt backed the latest diplomatic effort. UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland called for an immediate agreement to achieve a ceasefire and return the hostages, stating, “There is no alternative – and any delay, every day simply costs more lives.”
Israeli government spokesman David Mencer quoted Netanyahu as saying Biden’s outline was only “partial” and that fighting would stop temporarily “for the purpose of returning the hostages.”
The conflict shows no sign of easing, with the war soon entering its ninth month. On Monday, Israel’s military reported striking “over 50 targets” in Gaza over the past day, with local hospitals reporting at least 19 fatalities from overnight strikes.
The conflict began on October 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, resulting in 1,194 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Militants also took 251 hostages, of whom 120 remain in Gaza, including 41 who the army says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory bombardment and ground offensive have killed at least 36,470 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the territory’s health ministry. The UN reports that 55 percent of Gaza’s structures have been destroyed or damaged.
Heavy fighting continues, especially in Gaza’s southern Rafah area near the Egyptian border, where UN agencies report most civilians have been displaced again. UN and other aid agencies have warned of a looming famine amid a spiraling humanitarian crisis.
In northern Israel, firefighters battled intense forest fires triggered by rocket and drone strikes from Lebanon, forcing the partial evacuation of Kiryat Shmona.
