A senior official of Hamas has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of bringing negotiations to a halt for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, as reported by Haaretz. The official claimed that Netanyahu did this to buy time and warned the families of the hostages that the last round of negotiations may be their last chance to bring their children back. Despite this setback, the US believes that an agreement between Israel and Hamas is nearing completion. Talks are ongoing to reach a ceasefire agreement for the hostages in Gaza, with White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre expressing confidence in bridging the differences between the two parties.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin publicly announced that an arms transfer to Israel had been put on hold due to concerns surrounding the military operation in Rafah, as reported by Haaretz. He stated that they are currently reviewing security assistance in light of the events in Rafah and emphasized the need for Israel to account for civilians in the region. Furthermore, the head of the World Health Organization warned that hospitals in southern Gaza have only three days of fuel left due to the closure of border crossings in Rafah.
Amidst these challenges, the government of Hamas in Gaza has discovered a new mass grave from which 49 bodies have already been exhumed at Al Shifa hospital. Gaza authorities expect to find more bodies in the mass grave, which marks the third such discovery in the hospital. Israel claimed to have killed around 200 suspected militants and interrogated over 800 suspects during operations at the hospital, identifying around 500 members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, including senior officials. Overall, seven mass graves have been found in various hospitals in the Gaza Strip, underscoring the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region.