A second visit to Israel since the start of the war. The French Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, meets families of Hamas hostages on Monday January 22, before meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and several members of the war cabinet to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip and the risks of escalation in the region. Follow our live stream.
Israeli strikes on Khan Younes. During the night from Sunday to Monday, witnesses reported deadly Israeli strikes towards Khan Younes, and even fierce fighting between soldiers and Hamas fighters. Outside Gaza, in northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon, anti-rocket sirens sounded overnight, according to the Israeli army.
Hamas gives its “version of the facts” on October 7. The Palestinian Islamist movement recognized that “maybe errors have occurred” in the “chaos” Provoked by “the sudden collapse of the security and military apparatus” on the border between Israel and Gaza. However, he denied having targeted civilians, except “by accident, and during confrontations with the occupying forces”. However, videos released show armed men killing indiscriminately on Israeli soil.
Hostage families plead for agreement. During the night, relatives of the hostages and supporters gathered near the official residence of Benjamin Netanyahu, in Jerusalem, to demand an agreement for their release. “We are hearing about a proposal from the United States, Qatar and Egypt. We ask our government to listen, sit at the negotiating table and decide whether to accept this or any other agreement agreement that would suit Israel”, said Gilad Korenbloom, whose son is hostage in Gaza, on the spot.