On Wednesday, a senior Hamas official outlined new conditions for delivering medicines to hostages held by the group in Gaza. According to Musa Abu Marzuk, a member of the Hamas political bureau, for each box of medicine provided to hostages, 1,000 boxes will be supplied to Gaza residents. The drugs will be delivered through a country trusted by Hamas, excluding France, and the pharmaceutical trucks are to enter Gaza without Israeli inspection,Daily Trust report.
The announcement follows a mediation deal between Qatar and France on Tuesday, aiming to exchange medicines and humanitarian aid for hostages’ required drugs. Under this agreement, 45 hostages are expected to receive medication. The specified delivery conditions outlined by Marzuk include the use of a trusted intermediary country, delivery to various hospitals, and exemption from Israeli inspection.
As of now, there has been no official comment from the Israeli government in response to these new Hamas conditions. Meanwhile, a Qatari plane carrying medicines arrived in El-Arish, Egypt, near the Rafah border crossing, according to a security source in Egypt. France plans to send the drugs to a hospital in Rafah, where they will be handed over to the Red Cross, divided into batches, and eventually transferred to the hostages.
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It’s worth noting that tensions between Israel and Hamas have escalated since the October 7 attack, leading to a November truce mediated by Qatar. The release of hostages occurred during this truce, with some still held captive, including those believed to have been killed. The October attack resulted in casualties in Israel, and Israel subsequently launched an extensive assault in Gaza, causing a significant number of casualties, mainly among women, children, and adolescents.
