Note to reader: We wanted to give you a trigger warning on what you may read below. We have chosen, as with every night of these briefings, to not share horrific images, however we want to alert you as sensitively as we can to the reports coming out of Israel and Gaza.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps: “I call on Hamas to release the hostages and stop firing rockets”
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps told BBC this morning that, “I call on Hamas to release the hostages and stop firing rockets”. “Men, women and children were slaughtered, women raped” by Hamas on October 7th Shapps said, having visited Kfar and met with the family of one of the British hostages last week.
“A terrorist group – Hamas – have built miles of tunnels, under schools, under hospitals, under the community. From which it has an entire command-and-control structure which it uses to gather tens of thousands of rockets and fire them at their neighbour, and takes hostages and takes great pleasure in murdering people”.
Hamas rocket fire, which “is still going on and very active”, was witnessed first-hand by Shapps. “If the hostages were released, this would be a route to resolving this current part of the conflict”. Shapps also discussed the resumption of aid and humanitarian pauses, but later warned that a “ceasefire” would not come with a cessation of Hamas rocket fire and the release of hostages: “I’m not clear that is the case”, he said.
Israel is “being attacked from each side”, Shapps explained, “the Houthis from Yemen in the south”, “Lebanese Hezbollah in the north”, “the Iranian-backed groups in Syria and Iraq”, and “missiles coming in from Gaza”. Shapps informed of Iran’s involvement – “I’ve just sent HMS Diamond in order to go to the Red Sea because you’ve got Houthis interrupting shipping, hijacking ships”, he said, adding that the UK “are playing an active part in the region”.
Ex-Hamas minister: Hamas leader Sinwar “destroyed us, we we must get rid of him”
Hamas funding, allocated solely for “destruction”, has been directly procured from Iran, according to the terror group’s former Communications Minister Yousef al-Mansi, who served in several other roles under successive Hamas authorities.
Al-Mansi made the comments to Israeli interrogators, adding that Hamas will “set [the Gaza Strip] back 200 years”. The terror group has not been “loyal to the nation” since it violently purged its political opponents in 2007, according to Al-Mansi. “People in the Gaza Strip say that Sinwar and his group destroyed us, we must get rid of them”.
“There is no opportunity to live”, al-Mansi said in a 14-minute recording of the interrogation published by the Shin Bet, adding that Hamas’ brutal attack on October 7th constituted “heresy, madness” and is “unacceptable according to logic, religion, or intellect”.
“Those who are responsible for this are Sinwar and his group”, he said of the Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip. “I have not seen anyone in the Gaza Strip who supports Sinwar; nobody likes Sinwar. There are people who, day and night, pray that God will free us from him”. Sinwar’s “delusions of grandeur” have led him to make decisions “without consulting anyone”, stated the former Hamas minister.
“The achievement of Hamas is killing and the destruction of more than 60 percent of buildings, infrastructure, streets, and public facilities” in Gaza. Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades, the terror organisations military branch has “been decimated”, leaving only 5-10 percent of the group operable.
Funding for the groups is delivered through “several international institutions”, but “most of it doesn’t come through the correct channels”, al-Mansi revealed.
Italy, France and Germany urge EU: “Create an ad hoc sanctions regime against Hamas”
The EU has been urged to impose tougher sanctions against Hamas and its supporters by France, Germany and Italy, three of its largest economies – according to Reuters reports.
“We express our full support for the (…) proposal to create an ad hoc sanctions regime against Hamas and its supporters”, read a letter to the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, co-signed by the Foreign Ministers of the three European nations.
The calls come after Israel’s Diaspora Minister warned approximately 20 European leaders that Hamas operates a massive network across major European cities.
“The swift adoption of this sanctions regime will enable us to send a strong political message about the European Union’s commitment against Hamas and our solidarity with Israel”, it continued.
Elderly hostage says Hamas stole her oxygen device
Margalit Moses, 77-year-old former hostage freed from Hamas captivity, has said that a Hamas terrorist “took [her Oxygen device] away”. She added, “I told him that it was my oxygen. I spoke with him in Arabic, and he understood the meaning but he didn’t care”. She said that the theft meant that Moses didn’t sleep for 49 days. It was very hard. There were mental difficulties, there were physical difficulties and every day that passed it became more and more difficult,” Moses said.
Adina Moshe, 72, was also kept hostage by Hamas. Moshe was pulled through a window from her sealed room by terrorists after her husband, David Moshe, was shot dead by Hamas. Moshe said that her “good friends” are still in captivity, “they are all very old, with serious underlying illnesses, and without appropriate medications”.
Israel reopens second aid crossing into Gaza
UN staffers “significantly impaired”, Israel: “the aid is there, and the people need it”
“The UN must do better – the aid is there, and the people need it”, said Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).
Last week, Israel opened it’s second aid crossing into the Gaza Strip, but the UN humanitarian office has said its ability to receive and distribute aid there has been “significantly impaired” over recent days due to “a shortage of trucks within Gaza; telecommunications blackouts; and the increasing number of staff who were unable to travel to the Rafah crossing due to the intensity of hostilities”.
Israel has said it stands ready to permit the entry of increased aid, and has expanded its “capabilities to conduct inspections for the aid delivered into Gaza. Kerem Shalom is to be opened, so the amount of inspections will double”, according to COGAT.
Operational Update
A barrage of rockets was launched towards central Israel by Hamas in the Gaza Strip today, sounding alarms across Tel Aviv. A rocket struck Holon and damaged civilian structures and a vehicle, leaving a man injured.
Israel has parachuted seven tonnes of water into Gaza today for IDF troops in the first logistical airdrop of the Israel-Hamas war.
The first logistical airdrop during the Israel-Hamas war has taken place around the south of the Gaza Strip, the Israel military has claimed. The drop was part of a “guided support” advanced operational system.
Syria has claimed that the Israeli Air Force struck several sites near Damascus, according to the U.S.’ national security adviser.
