Hamas releases 2 hostages as Israeli troops prepare for potential ground incursion

 

Hamas releases 2 hostages as Israeli troops prepare for potential ground incursion

Two more hostages have been released from Hamas custody, according to various officials. They have arrived in Egypt at the border with Gaza, according to Egypt's state-affiliated Al-Qahera News.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces says soldiers are conducting training exercises ahead of a potential ground incursion into Gaza.

It all comes as the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. Though some aid has made its way across the border, relief groups are warning it's not enough.

Here's what to know:

• Hostages released: Israeli citizens Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, were released from Hamas custody Monday following Qatari and Egyptian mediation, according to two Israeli officials and two other sources briefed on the matter. Hamas also said it released two hostages, according to a statement from a spokesperson. On Friday, Hamas released two American hostages, Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie Raanan.
• Aid into Gaza: Twenty trucks carrying humanitarian aid passed the Rafah crossing into Gaza on Monday, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). On Saturday and Sunday, a total of 34 trucks were able to enter Gaza, it said. But, relief groups have warned much more is required to curb a deepening humanitarian crisis inside the strip. Aid deliveries entering Gaza have not included fuel, which is critical for things like water desalination and hospitals, OCHA said.
• Dire situation at hospitals: Hospitals are nearing collapse, operating at more than 150% of their capacity, according to the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health. Situations have become so dire that surgeries are being conducted without anesthesia, and in some cases, under the illumination of phone lights, it said. A British-Palestinian surgeon who traveled to Gaza to help in hospitals has warned that without electricity, the hospital he is in “will just be a mass grave.”
• Israeli strikes: More than 400 people were killed in overnight Israeli strikes on Gaza, the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Health Ministry said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the assault hit 320 "terror targets" belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Israel also said it has killed or captured more than 1,000 members of Hamas, according to Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for IDF.
• Looming ground operation: Israeli soldiers are taking part in training exercises to improve their "readiness and capabilities for ground operations" in Gaza, the IDF said. Israel has already mobilized troops and military material on the border. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the country is preparing for a "multilateral operation" on Hamas from the "air, ground, and sea." The White House declined to say if the Biden administration was urging Israel to delay a possible ground incursion to allow for the release of more hostages held by Hamas and for aid to reach Gaza.
• The scope of the conflict so far: As of Monday, more than 5,000 people have been killed in Gaza, and more than 15,000 have been injured since October 7, the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health in the occupied West Bank reported. Israeli authorities said Saturday that it believes 210 people are being held hostage in Gaza. A Hamas spokesperson previously said the militant group captured between 200 and 250 people during the attacks.

US Marine 3-star general in Israel to counsel IDF ahead of expected ground operation, source confirms

Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Glynn, the former commander of Marine Forces Special Operations Command, is in Israel to counsel the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on their current operations and ahead of an expected ground incursion into Gaza, according to a US official familiar with the matter.

The official would not provide specifics on what type of advice or counsel Glynn would offer, but the official noted that Glynn is able to tap into his decades of experience to offer help with the “big picture” surrounding the conflict in Gaza. 

Glynn is currently the deputy commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, helping to lead the service’s efforts to recruit and retain new Marines. He was previously the commander of Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) and has significant combat experience in Iraq. 

Axios was first to report on Glynn’s role in Israel.

Asked whether Glynn would be advising the Israelis, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby would not confirm Glynn’s position.

Instead, Kirby told reporters Monday that the Biden administration had sent to Israel “a few relevant military officers” who had “the kind of experience that we believe is appropriate to the sorts of operations that Israel is conducting and may conduct int the future.”

Kirby said these officers would also “ask the hard questions, the same hard questions that we’ve been asking of our Israeli counterparts since the beginning.” 

The US official said this included questions about how Israel planned to avoid civilian casualties, a number that has soared as the IDF bombards the coastal enclave. 

Glynn is not the most senior US officer to visit Israel since the Hamas terror attack on October 7. The commander of US Central Command, Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, visited Israel last week and met with senior Israeli military leaders, including Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.

Glynn’s role is separate from the team of special operations forces that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sent to Israel in the days after the Hamas attack. That team was tasked with helping Israel with intelligence and planning related to the hostage rescue efforts.

It is unclear when Glynn arrived in Israel or how long he is expected to stay.

Some context: As CNN previously reported, the US and its allies have urged Israel to be clear about its goals in Gaza if and when it launches a broader operation targeting the coastal enclave.

The US has warned against a prolonged occupation of Gaza and has placed a particular emphasis on avoiding civilian casualties, US and Western officials told CNN.

US officials don’t yet have a clear sense for Israel’s intentions in Gaza and believe it will be difficult for Hamas to be eradicated entirely.

At least publicly, Israeli officials have articulated their plans only in broad strokes, saying that the goal is to eliminate Hamas and its infrastructure.

In private discussions with their Israeli counterparts, officials have not tried to dissuade Israel from moving into Gaza with ground forces, officials said. But they have emphasized that Israel should have clear objectives when it comes to degrading Hamas and seeking to avoid a long-term occupation of the Gaza Strip.