News in Brief
Mediators push to extend Gaza cease-fire
FOX – Negotiators are pushing Israel and Hamas to extend their cease-fire for a second time Wednesday as the brief pause agreement enters its sixth and final day.
Israel and Hamas have so far agreed to one more exchange of Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners, having extended the cease-fire for two days beyond its original end date of Monday.
As of Wednesday, Hamas had released 60 Israeli women and children and 21 people of other nationalities. In exchange, 180 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails have been released.
Hamas not using captives as leverage: US
AA – The White House said Tuesday there is no evidence to suggest that Hamas is attempting to use any form of leverage to hinder the departure of Americans from Gaza.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the pool of Americans in the hands of Hamas is “pretty small”.
“We can’t just assume that Hamas has ready access to everybody at a moment’s notice, or that all the Americans are being held by Hamas, and certainly not that they’re in the same place,” he added.
Netanyahu’s son dodges enlisting again
THE NEW ARAB – A son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly volunteered for ambulance service after facing weeks of criticism for failing to join Israel’s military in its war on Gaza.
Israelis questioned why the 32-year-old Yair Netanyahu was not among the hundreds of thousands of Israelis called up to serve in the war on Gaza or joined those citizens who had flown into Israel to sign up for the military.