Lee-Hamas Hostage Swap Day 6... "Approval for Combat Resumption Plan" (Comprehensive)

UN Secretary-General "True Humanitarian Ceasefire Needed"

On the 27th (local time), residents are walking through the war-torn city in Gaza City, Gaza Strip. [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

As efforts to extend the ceasefire deadline between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas are being revived, both sides continued exchanging hostages and detainees. The Israeli government approved combat plans following the end of the ceasefire, increasing pressure on Hamas.

On the 29th (local time), major foreign media reported that 10 Israelis who had been held captive in the Gaza Strip on the sixth day of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Earlier, Hamas released two Russian hostages that day. The release of the Israeli hostages occurred around 11 p.m., later than initially expected. Israel is also expected to release 30 Palestinian detainees in a 1-to-3 exchange.

Previously, Israel and Hamas agreed to a temporary ceasefire from the 24th for four days on the condition of exchanging three Palestinian detainees for each Israeli hostage and allowing humanitarian aid, including fuel, into the Gaza Strip. They agreed to extend the ceasefire for two more days on the 28th, with the ceasefire ending at 7 a.m. on the 30th.

Up to the previous day, a total of 81 hostages had been released from the Gaza Strip, including 60 Israelis and 21 foreigners. The number of Palestinian detainees released from Israel is 180.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced that Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi held an operational meeting at the Southern Command located in Beersheba and approved the military combat plan. Chief of Staff Halevi emphasized, "We know what we must do and are prepared for the next phase."

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also held a situation assessment meeting with military and intelligence leaders, including Chief of Staff Halevi, Mossad Director David Barnea, and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, stating, "The Israeli forces in the air, sea, and land are ready to resume combat immediately." The newspaper reported that he also said, "We are making every effort to complete the process of returning all abducted women and children."

Israel and Hamas are negotiating an extension of the ceasefire with mediation from Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, but the outcome remains uncertain.

The international community is urging countries to pay attention to the Gaza Strip, which is experiencing a devastating humanitarian crisis. Ant?nio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, attended a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting held at the UN headquarters in New York and said, "Intense negotiations for extending the ceasefire are underway, and we welcome this actively, but we believe a genuine humanitarian ceasefire is necessary."

Secretary-General Guterres’ remarks at the UNSC followed the Security Council’s adoption of a resolution on the 15th calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and requesting the UN Secretary-General to report on the implementation of the resolution.

In his report that day, Guterres stated that while the scale of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire period has increased, it remains grossly insufficient to meet the necessary demands. He added, "The people of Gaza are in the midst of a tremendous humanitarian disaster under the watchful eyes of the world, and we must not turn away."

Wang Yi, Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office of the Chinese Communist Party and Foreign Minister, who chaired the meeting as the rotating president of the Security Council, said, "If fighting resumes in the Gaza Strip, it is highly likely to lead to a disaster engulfing the entire region," urging a comprehensive ceasefire. He also announced that the Chinese government would increase emergency humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, countered, saying, "Those who support the ceasefire are essentially supporting Hamas’s reign of terror in the Gaza Strip," adding, "Hamas is a genocidal terrorist organization and is not a reliable partner for peace." Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, said, "The United States urges Israel to exercise its right to protect its citizens from terrorist acts while taking all possible measures to prevent civilian casualties."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.