French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday to show France’s solidarity with Israel and push for the release of hostages held in Gaza since the October 7 Hamas attack. The French president is also expected to call for the resumption of a “genuine peace process,” according to his office. Follow our live blog for the latest developments. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
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Latest news in brief:
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French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning to meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Benny Gantz and main opposition leader Yair Lapid.
- Two elderly hostages released from Hamas captivity in Gaza were flown to an Israeli hospital to be reunited with their families on Tuesday.
- This brings the total number of hostages released by Hamas to four. No Palestinian prisoners were released in return, a condition previously set by Hamas for the release of hostages.
- Overnight Israeli air strikes killed 140 people across Gaza, according to the Hamas-run government’s media office.
- The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said on Monday that the death toll in Gaza had risen to 5,087. The number of people taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 rose to 222, according to the Israeli military. The official death toll in the Hamas attack has not been revised since Saturday; It remains at 1400.
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The most important developments for Monday, October 23:
The Hamas movement released two female prisoners for humanitarian reasons, and in response to Qatari-Egyptian mediation, according to a statement by Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the movement’s military wing, on its channel on the Telegram application.
Israel escalated its attacks on the Gaza Strip while also striking targets in the occupied West Bank, Syria and Lebanon, and exchanging fire with the Lebanese Hezbollah group.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health says the death toll in Gaza exceeded 5,000 during two weeks of Israeli air strikes.
Read our blog to see how the day’s events unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, Associated Press and Reuters)