Skip next section World Bank president says there’s no more business as usual amid ongoing conflictOctober 24, 2023
World Bank president says there’s no more business as usual amid ongoing conflictWorld Bank President Ajay Banga said the world was in a more dangerous place and that the Israel-Hamas conflict was a “serious” threat to economic development.
Banga was speaking to reporters at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“There is so much going on in the world and geopolitics in the wars that you’re seeing and what just happened recently in Israel and Gaza,” he said.
“At the end of the day, when you put all this together, I think the impact on economic development is even more serious,” he added.
https://p.dw.com/p/4XwhTSkip next section Gaza humanitarian situation ‘more critical by the hour,’ CARE country director saysOctober 24, 2023
Gaza humanitarian situation ‘more critical by the hour,’ CARE country director saysThe humanitarian situation in the besieged Gaza Strip is becoming “more and more critical by the hour,” said Hiba Tibi, country director for CARE in the Palestinian Territories.
Speaking to DW on Tuesday, Tibi said humanitarian workers in the blockaded enclave are counting the hours until the medical system goes out of service.
“As you can see in this image, we have been able to secure necessities for immediate requirements that are needed for survival and life-saving, and this includes water and food,” said Tibi, whose organization is among those facilitating the entry of aid trucks into Gaza.
Tibi addressed the shortage of fuel, an item not agreed upon as part of the aid allowed into the strip out of fear it would fall into the hands of militants. She said the minimal amount of fuel allowed into the strip for UN facilities had been restricted to those in the south and those benefiting from UN shelters.
“But there are many actors, many people who are civilians in the north and center who are not accessing the designated shelters by the UN,” Tibi said.
She also pointed to the shortage of clean drinking water, which has left people turning to contaminated water.
“We started to see signs of diseases, water-borne diseases like diarrhea, rash, even other diseases that are becoming more and more risky at the top of each hour,” Tibi said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4XwS5Skip next section France stands in solidarity with Israel’s fight against Hamas terror, Macron saysOctober 24, 2023
France stands in solidarity with Israel’s fight against Hamas terror, Macron saysFrance will stand in solidarity with Israel in its fight against terrorism, President Emmanuel Macron said as he met with Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem.
“What happened will never be forgotten,” Macron said, referring to the October 7 terror attacks by the Islamist militant group Hamas on Israeli soil.
“I am here to express our solidarity,” Macron said. He added the “first objective now should be the release of all hostages, without distinction.”
Macron arrived in Tel Aviv early Tuesday and met with Israeli-French nationals who lost loved ones in the terror attacks of October 7, as well as families of hostages held by the Hamas terror group, at the Ben Gurion airport.
Macron arrived in Israel on Tuesday morning and is expected to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later in the day, according to the Palestinian Authority. Elysee Palace is yet to confirm the meeting.
https://p.dw.com/p/4XwM6Skip next section Hostages released doing OK, chief nurse at Tel Aviv medical center tells DWOctober 24, 2023
Hostages released doing OK, chief nurse at Tel Aviv medical center tells DWThe two Israeli women, aged 79 and 85, who were released by Hamas militants after being held captive by the group for more than two weeks, are doing relatively well, according to the Israeli medical team.
The women were transferred to Egypt and handed to Israeli authorities. They were then taken immediately to the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.
Eti Uziel, the chief nurse at the center, told DW that their “medical condition looked OK.”
The women were speaking with medical staff and had already seen their family members.
Hamas, which the US, EU, Israel and others have designated a terrorist organization, is still holding the women’s husbands captive.
Rebecca Ritters, DW Correspondent in Jerusalem, reported that one of the women released was a peace activist who had often helped Gazans.
It’s impossible to tell whether that could be the reason behind her release, Ritters said, but the woman was seen shaking the hand of one of the Hamas militants before she was returned to humanitarian workers.
Israel has amassed tanks and weapons at the border with Gaza as it prepares for an anticipated ground invasion in Gaza to stamp out Hamas militants.
The US, according to media reports, has been pressing the government to delay the anticipated ground invasion as it carries out negotiations to free the 220 hostages still held captive.
Hamas militant group releases two Israeli hostagesTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/4XwFlSkip next section Israel says more than 400 Hamas targets struckOctober 24, 2023
Israel says more than 400 Hamas targets struckThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed to have struck more than 400 “Hamas terror targets” overnight into Tuesday in a post on Telegram.
The IDF said their strikes killed “several Hamas commanders and numerous operatives preparing attacks.”
Separately, Hamas — designated a terrorist organization by the EU, US, Israel and others — said on Tuesday that more than 140 people had been killed in airstrikes, according to the French news agency AFP.
Neither report could be verified independently.
https://p.dw.com/p/4XwF1Skip next section Social media platforms failing to keep disinformation in check, expert tells DWOctober 24, 2023
Social media platforms failing to keep disinformation in check, expert tells DWSocial media platforms are not fully equipped to bear the responsibility of content moderation amid the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hamas, said Caitlin Chin-Rothmann, an expert on technology and policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
She told DW that social media platforms are being flooded with information — and disinformation — and the platforms don’t have the resources to check the large amount of content. Much information about the Israel-Hamas conflict is also in languages other than English.
“Platforms are in a very difficult position partly due to the very, very large volume of information that’s flowing but also due to the fact that platforms are making real-time decisions in very short periods of time,” she said.
She explained that platforms are not operating with all the information they need, so it’s impossible for them to verify circulating claims. Social media companies are facing “both technical and normative challenges.”
The European Union has demanded social media platforms, like Meta, TikTok, and X, formerly known as Twitter, to detail their efforts to curb disinformation during the Israel-Hamas war.
However, both Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also use alternative platforms such as Telegram, which is more popular outside the US and Western Europe but does very little content moderation.
Fact check: Hamas attacks on Israel spark wave of fake newsTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/4XwAMSkip next section French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in IsraelOctober 24, 2023
French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in IsraelEmmanuel Macron has arrived in Tel Aviv, following visits by several other Western leadersImage: Christophe Ena/Pool/REUTERS French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Tel Aviv early Tuesday morning for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials.
Macron is expected to express his “full solidarity” with Israel as well as to call for the “preservation of the civilian population” in Gaza, according to his office.
The French leader is expected to call for a “humanitarian truce” to get much-needed aid to the more than 2 million people trapped in the Gaza Strip and to propose launching a “true peace process” that would lead to a Palestinian state in exchange for Israeli security guarantees, the presidential palace said.
As well as the Israeli prime minister, Macron will meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and opposition leaders Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid in Jerusalem.
He is also due to meet the relatives of French and French-Israeli nationals who were killed or taken hostage by Hamas during their unprecedented terror attack on Israel on October 7.
Some 30 French citizens were among the 1,400 people killed during the Hamas attacks, while another seven are believed to be among the more than 200 people being held captive by the terror group in Gaza.
Macron is visiting Israel after a host of world leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden, visited Israel.
https://p.dw.com/p/4Xw6vSkip next section Biden and Netanyahu discuss hostages, aid and securityOctober 24, 2023
Biden and Netanyahu discuss hostages, aid and securityUS President Joe Biden had a call with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, the White House said.
Biden “welcomed the release of two additional hostages from Gaza earlier” and reaffirmed his commitment to freeing the remaining hostages taken by Islamist militants Hamas, which the US has designated as a terrorist group.
The US president also underscored the need to sustain “a continuous flow” of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, the White House said.
During the phone call, Biden also updated Netanyahu on “US support for Israel and ongoing efforts at regional deterrence, to include new US military deployments.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4XvvDSkip next section Analyst says more hostages could be released in ‘strategic negotiating tactic’October 24, 2023
Analyst says more hostages could be released in ‘strategic negotiating tactic’The incremental release of hostages from Gaza over the past few days could continue, according to Frank Ledwidge, a senior lecturer in strategic studies at Portsmouth University and a former UK military intelligence officer.
“I don’t think it’s a one-off,” he told DW.
“This would be a strategic negotiating tactic on the one hand, and a propaganda effort on the other.”
“It’s worth mentioning, by the way, that under Islamic law it’s fairly settled that women and children should never be harmed and preferably not held as hostages. So this release could be used to established some kind of legitimacy, but of course that’s just propaganda.”
Ledwidge said Israel has the upper hand because the longer it waits, the more time it has to gather intelligence and prepare for a military operation.
“All the efforts of a formidable Israeli intelligence system, plus the US and I suspect the UK, Germany, France and others, are focused on this problem now, and that’s a pretty formidable array,” he said.
However, Ledwidge noted that the militant Islamist group Hamas still had certain advantages in the event of a ground invasion, such as a more intimate knowledge of the environment.
“Israel’s soldiers want to survive. Hamas terrorists are not interested one way or the other,” he added.
“And therefore there’s that human element which will undoubtedly work to the detriment of many people and will increase casualties.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4XvuJSkip next section Russia, Iran orchestrating Middle East conflict: Former top US general tells DWOctober 24, 2023
Russia, Iran orchestrating Middle East conflict: Former top US general tells DWMoscow is the biggest beneficiary of the fighting between Israel and Hamas, according to former commanding general of the US Army in Europe and current head of the GLOBSEC Future and Security Defense Council, Ben Hodges.
Hodges told DW’s Alexandra von Nahmen that he is “100% sure” that Russia and Iran have coordinated around the conflict.
“The Kremlin wants to see all of us turn our eyes and all of our resources away from Ukraine and I think since [the Hamas terror attacks on Israel on] October 7, you’d have a hard time finding any front page articles about Ukraine because of what’s happening in Israel,” he said.
“I don’t think this is an accident.”
Iran, Hodges said, provides significant resources, support and direction to Hamas, which is listed as a terrorist group by the US, the EU, Germany and others.
As the war in Ukraine rages on, Hodges said the US “absolutely” can continue to support Kyiv in its efforts to defeat Russia, whilst helping Israel defend itself.
Russia, Iran orchestrating Israel-Hamas war — ex-US generalTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/4XvRkSkip next section ‘It’s a very volatile situation,’ DW correspondent says after hostages freedOctober 24, 2023
‘It’s a very volatile situation,’ DW correspondent says after hostages freedDW’s correspondent in Jerusalem Tania Krämer said there is speculation in Israel about the fate of at least 222 people who were taken hostage by the militant Islamist Hamas, which is considered to be a terrorist group by the US, the EU, Germany and others.
Four hostages — two Americans and two Israelis — have been released already.
“There were some rumors in the Israeli media that 50 more hostages could be released but that has not materialized so far,” Krämer said.
She said little is known about the current status of the hostages.
“Some families still don’t know what happened to their loved ones because the identification process also is still ongoing for those people killed,” Krämer said.
“It’s a very volatile situation also in the light that there might be a ground invasion looming soon.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4XvkoSkip next section US welcomes release of Israeli hostagesOctober 24, 2023
US welcomes release of Israeli hostagesThe United States was “very gratified” to see the release of two Israeli hostages on Monday night, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and Nurit Cooper, 79, had been taken hostage during the October 7 attacks on Israel by Islamist group Hamas, which the US considers to be a terrorist group, as do the EU, Germany and others.
“Well, obviously we’re very gratified to see the release of these two hostages — Israeli citizens — which comes on top of the release on Friday of two American citizens,” Miller said during an appearance on MSNBC.
https://p.dw.com/p/4XvhPSkip next section European Parliament president calls for response against Hamas October 23, 2023
European Parliament president calls for response against Hamas The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, said the conflict between Israel and Islamist militant group Hamas was a defining moment.
“We condemn in the clearest of manners the attack that took place,” she told DW.
“We call for the response to be against Hamas. We call to make sure that innocent civilians do not get caught in the crossfire.”
The European Union categorizes Hamas as a terrorist organization, as do the US, Germany and other countries.
Metsola: Israel-Hamas conflict ‘a defining moment’To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/4XvggSkip next section Israeli mother of hostages says she hasn’t received new informationOctober 23, 2023
Israeli mother of hostages says she hasn’t received new informationAn Israeli mother of two of the hostages held by militant Islamist group Hamas does not have any further information about their condition, she told DW.
Renana Gomeh said the last contact she had with her adolescent sons was over the phone just before they were abducted and taken to Gaza by Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group by the US, the EU, Germany and others.
“I don’t even know where they are … or even if they’re still alive,” she said.
She said that she has not received any new information from the Israeli government.
“I presume that even if they were to have new information, they wouldn’t give it to me,” she said. “It might work against the actual release if they were to give any information.”
Mother of sons kidnapped by Hamas speaks outTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/4XvZTSkip next section Red Cross confirms two hostages released by HamasOctober 23, 2023
Red Cross confirms two hostages released by HamasYocheved Lifshitz und Nurit Cooper were the second pair of hostages released by Hamas from their captivity in GazaImage: Hostages and missing families forum/Handout/REUTERS The International Committee of the Red Cross says the militant Islamist group Hamas has released two more hostages from Gaza.
The Israeli prime minister’s office named them as 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz and 79-year-old Nurit Cooper and said they would be taken to a medical facility.
The two women were transported out of Gaza on Monday evening, the Red Cross said. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the humanitarian group added that hoped “they will soon be back with their loved ones.”
“Our role as a neutral intermediary makes this work possible [and] we are ready to facilitate any future release,” the ICRC added.
Hamas, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Germany, the US and the EU among others, said it had released the two women for humanitarian reasons.
The two women, along with their husbands, were abducted from their homes in the kibbutz of Nir Oz near the Gaza border during the October 7 terror attacks on Israel by Hamas. Their husbands were not released.
Hamas and other militants in Gaza are believed to have taken roughly 220 people, including an unconfirmed number of foreigners and dual nationals. Hamas released an American woman and her teenage daughter last week.
“We are happy that my grandmother is back”, the grandson of Lifshnitz has commented.
https://p.dw.com/p/4XvSx
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