The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported on Saturday evening that Gantz, in a speech, called for the formation of a unified government in Israel. This government should adopt a comprehensive plan, including the release of all hostages, the approval of a recruitment law, and the move towards elections within six months. Gantz, the leader of the Israeli party ‘Blue and White,’ urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, opposition leader Yair Lapid, and ‘Yisrael Beiteinu’ party leader Avigdor Lieberman to form a ‘Hostage Rescue Government.’ He, who previously served as the Minister of Defense in his country, stated that ‘Hamas will be pursued, but retrieving the hostages comes first.’ He suggested that opposition parties should join the Israeli government until the elections, instead of the hardline parties that hinder the progress of the hostage and recruitment files.
A joint United Nations statement from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization’s food program reported that ‘more than half a million people in the Gaza Strip are trapped in a famine situation characterized by widespread malnutrition, poverty, and preventable deaths.’
In turn, Jeremy Laurence, a spokesperson, declared that ‘Israeli authorities must take immediate action to end the famine in the Gaza Strip and allow all humanitarian aid to enter.’
