Israel at war: Israeli hostage children ‘burnt, drugged’ by Hamas

01 December 2023, The Australian, by Anne Barrowclough

Child hostages ‘burned, drugged’: reports

The Israeli children kidnapped by Hamas had their legs burned with motorcycle exhaust to make them easily identifiable, according to Israeli media.

The children were also drugged, Yaniv Yaakov, the uncle of Yagil, 12 and Or, 16, told foreign ministers in Europe, Israel’s Channel 12 reports.

“The children have been returned to us and shared harrowing tales of their experiences in Gaza,” Mr Yaakov said.

“’One particularly disturbing detail that shook me was how each child seized by Hamas was placed on a motorcycle. They positioned the child’s leg against the bike’s exhaust pipe, causing burns. This was done to mark the children, ensuring their identification should they try to escape or be rescued.

“They’re now safely with us, although they were drugged and treated horrifically, but at least they’re here with us now.'”

Meanwhile Hamas has said it is “willing to extend the truce” in fighting with Israel, a source close to the Palestinian militant group told AFP hours before the latest extension was due to expire.

The seven-day pause has seen dozens of Israeli hostages exchanged for more than 200 Palestinian prisoners, and aid entering the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

“The mediators are currently making strong, intense and continuous efforts for an additional day in the truce and then working to extend it again for other days,” the source said on condition of anonymity.

– With AFP

Three dead in Jerusalem attack, two hostages freed

Hamas has claimed responsibility for a shooting in Jerusalem that killed three people and injured three more, shortly after Israel and the militant organisation agreed to extend the ceasefire to free more hostages.

Israeli police said the two gunmen from east Jerusalem opened fire on people near a bus stop on the western side of Jerusalem.

The attackers were shot dead by two off-duty soldiers and a civilian, police said. The soldiers had been on their way back to Gaza when the attack happened.

In a statement, Hamas called the attack “a natural response to the unprecedented crimes of the occupier (Israel) in the Gaza Strip and against children in Jenin” in the West Bank, where an Israeli army raid this week killed an eight-year-old boy and a teenager.

It came as two more Israeli hostages were released, with another eight set to be freed along with three bodies of deceased hostages.

The two freed hostages were named by Israeli media as Mia Schem, 21, and Amit Soussana, aged 40. Ms Soussana had been home sick when Hamas terrorists attacked Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where she lived. She hid in a closet in her safe room but was found and taken prisoner.

The seventh group will be handed to the Red Cross at different times and places today because they are being held in different parts of Gaza, and by different militant organisations, an Israeli official told CNN.

– With AFP

Freed hostage Mia Shem filmed for Hamas video

One of the two hostages freed today is 21-year-old French-Israeli Mia Shem, who was forced to take part in a Hamas video after being captured during an outdoor music festival on October 7.

In the footage, Mia said that she injured her arm very badly and was treated for her injuries. She says that everything is “fine” and asks to be brought home as soon as possible.

In the video, released on Hamas’ telegram channel, Mia adds: “I’m being cared for, I’m getting medications. I’m only asking for me to be returned home as soon as possible, to my family, to my parents, to my siblings. Please get me out of here as soon as possible.”

The IDF lashed the video release, saying: “In the video, Hamas is trying to portray itself as a humane organization, while it is a murderous terrorist organization responsible for the murder and abduction of babies, women, children, and elderly.”

Hamas ‘forcing evacuees into Khan Younis’

Amid fears the one day ceasefire extension won’t be extended, Hamas is reportedly pushing Gazan evacuees into the city Khan Yunis, which is in the sights of the Israeli military when the truce ends.

With most women and children hostages now freed, talks to extend the ceasefire further have hit a hurdle over the release of male hostages and Israeli soldiers.

Israel’s Channel 12 TV reports that ahead of a possible Israeli military push into southern Gaza, Hamas is forcing the displaced into Khan Yunis so they will crowd UNRWA facilities and schools, and make the Israeli Defence Forces’ operations harder.

In Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed it was “imperative” to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip should fighting resume.

“We have seen over the last wthe eek the very positive development of hostages coming home, being reunited with their families,” Mr Blinken said in his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

“It’s also enabled an increase in humanitarian assistance to go to innocent civilians in Gaza who need it desperately.”

– With AFP

Blinken urges Israel to extend ceasefire

Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israeli leaders to extend a pause in their combat operations against Hamas militants in Gaza, which is teetering after a one-day extension was clinched following all-night negotiations.

As the temporary truce was set to expire Thursday morning, Qatari mediators announced that the parties had agreed to extend it by one more day.

But ongoing negotiations for a further extension of the cease-fire beyond Friday morning face an uphill battle, said Egyptian and Qatari officials involved in the talks.

Mr Blinken, on his fourth trip to Israel since the armed assaults by Hamas on Oct. 7 sparked an intensive Israeli bombing campaign and ground invasion in Gaza, repeated the Biden administration’s view that Israel has the right to defend itself but also stressed the importance of the cease-fire discussions.

“From day one, we have been focused immensely on trying to secure the release of hostages in Gaza by Hamas,” Mr Blinken said Thursday alongside Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

“It’s also enabled a significant increase in humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians in Gaza who need it. So this process [is] producing results. It’s important. We hope that it continues.”

Mr Blinken also discussed expanding humanitarian aid to Gaza with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and how to reduce civilian casualties if fighting resumes, according to the State Department.

He later travelled to the West Bank city of Ramallah where he met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and other leaders as the question of who or what might replace Hamas in Gaza comes into sharper focus.

– Dow Jones

Herzog in hostage release talks with UAE president

Israeli President Isaac Herzog met his Emirati counterpart on the sidelines of UN climate talks on Thursday as part of a diplomatic push to release hostages held by Hamas.

Mr Herzog’s visit to the United Arab Emirates comes nearly eight weeks into the Israel-Hamas war and coincides with a day-long extension to a truce that has seen Israeli hostages freed in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

During his meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mr Herzog underlined “the necessity to act in any way possible to free the Israeli hostages held captive by the murderous terrorist organisation Hamas,” a statement from his office said.

He “appealed” to his Emirati counterpart “to employ his full political weight to promote and speed up the return home of the hostages,” the statement said.

In a separate statement on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Herzog said he would hold “a series of diplomatic meetings” in Dubai to push for the release of hostages.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas is also attending the COP28 climate conference.

– AFP

Truce extended for another day

A truce between Israel and Hamas will continue, both sides said on Thursday, moments before the deal was due to expire, though details of any official agreement remained unclear.

Minutes before the halt in fighting was due to expire at 7am (4pm AEST), Israel’s military said the “operational pause” would be extended, without specifying for how long.

“In light of the mediators’ efforts to continue the process of releasing the hostages and subject to the terms of the framework, the operational pause will continue,” it said.

Hamas meanwhile said there was an agreement to “extend the truce for a seventh day,” without further details.

Qatar, which has led the truce negotiations, confirmed the pause had been extended until Friday.

– AFP