2023-10-21 07:13:21
by Guido Olimpio
Two women, Judith Raanan and her daughter Natalie, were released. The others are still alive. Some were kidnapped by satellite groups or gangs
The first news, positive. Most of the 203 hostages are still alive and Hamas has freed two Americans, mother and daughter. The second, negative. They are in the hands of different groups: it was known but was reiterated by the army.
News on the war between Israel and Hamas, live
The moment between the fighting and the diplomatic front was very fluid. The faction wants to get the most, it has proposed to free some of them in exchange for a ceasefire but – according to the BBC – met with a no from the other side. Then he released the two US citizens, Judith Raanan and her daughter Natalie, a gesture accompanied by thanks to Qatar and insults towards the White House. The concession could have a connection with Biden’s announcement on the imminent reopening of the Rafah (Egypt) border, the entry point for aid. We hope that it is the first step on a positive path. Previously, observers had speculated about a future release of children and wounded. This was motivated by image reasons and pressure from the Qataris. Logistical issues as they are fragile figures in terrible conditions. Humanitarian tactical choice to counteract a possible Israeli ground offensive.
Military pressure always strong. The intelligence has been looking for tips on possible hiding places, on the enemy, on the leaders for days. Special forces conducted a couple of raids, officially to collect items or recover bodies. Activities that could have allowed us to infiltrate someone, to extract an informant, to place sensors while trying to fix the pieces of the mosaic.
The Defense provided some data: thirty hostages are under the age of sixteen; 10-20 over sixty; they belong to 23 different nationalities; 100-200 people are missing. The numbers accentuate the pressure just as they increase the problems. A Hamas member said they did not expect to capture so many people and many are in the hands of militiamen from different factions. The videos posted show guerrillas carrying away old women, dragging away the wounded and bodies, images from which it is possible to obtain clues as to the terrorists’ affiliation. A summary census includes Salaheddin Brigades of the Popular Resistance Committees, al Quds (Jihad) Brigades, al Aqsa Brigades, Democratic Front, Mujahideen Brigades.
Now the Israelis must understand what the quotas are for each acronym, because this means expanding the sieve. The investigation, however, encounters further obstacles from a subsequent confirmation: there would be prisoners rounded up by gangs of civilians, capable of using the pawns in a barter within this jungle. The soldier Gilad Shalit was captured by a unit who then handed him over to Hamas, an inevitable step in managing a case with multiple implications. a bazaar crowded with buyers and sellers, precious lives and lies on the stalls. He happened in the drama of Ron Arad, navigator of a fighter shot down in Lebanon in ’86 and captured by Shiite resisters. He became the subject of conflict between the kidnappers, the initiatives aimed at saving him failed and he would have died some time ago.
Furthermore, the militants can claim that they do not have a precise framework in order to maintain reserve cards both towards Jerusalem and the numerous mediators, real or presumed. Turks, Egyptians, Sunni emirs have offered their help while the Russian ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov claimed yesterday to have opened a channel with the militants. Daniel Maidan, a former Mossad agent who participated in the Shalit negotiations, pointed the way in an interview with Time. First. Negotiate now. Second. Speak clearly, get to the point. Third. The faction needs Egypt because of the border with Rafah, Qatar is the paying officer and international contact (it hosts some leaders), then Turkey and of course there is Iran. They are the governments with the greatest possibility of having an impact: Let’s forget about those who share tears and pain.
October 21, 2023 (modified October 21, 2023 | 07:13)
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