Qatar and Israel announced on Tuesday that after mediation by Doha and Paris, an agreement had been reached to provide medicine and aid to Israeli prisoners held by Hamas in Gaza.
In a statement released to Qatar’s state-run news agency (QNA), Doha announced an agreement between Israel and Hamas, according to which, in exchange for the supply of essential medicines for Israeli prisoners, the citizens of Gaza will receive other medical supplies. Along with humanitarian aid, medicines will also be provided.
According to the French news agency AFP, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the agreement, saying: “The Qatari representatives will deliver the drugs to their final destination in the Gaza Strip.”
According to the French headquarters, the medicine is for 45 prisoners. Last November, 83 prisoners were initially said to be in need of medication, but so far 38 prisoners have either been released or have been killed as a result of Israeli aggression.
The International Committee of the Red Cross will receive the medicine after it arrives at a hospital in the southern Gaza border town of Rafah on Wednesday, which will be divided into groups and immediately delivered to the prisoners.
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Philippe Laliot, director of the center, said the supply of drugs will last for three months and the French Foreign Ministry’s crisis center bought the drugs and sent them to Doha via diplomatic bag on Saturday.
Qatar, where Hamas has its political office, has led talks between Israel and the Palestinian group.
He also brokered a temporary one-week ceasefire in November during the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which led to the release of a number of Israeli and foreign prisoners.
On October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures, about 1,140 people were killed in an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel, while about 250 people were captured and taken to Gaza.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 24,285 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli bombing and ground operations in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 70 percent of whom are women and children.
Majid Al-Ansari, spokesperson of Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told QNA that these medicines and aid will be flown from Doha to Al-Arish, Egypt, on two planes of the Qatar Armed Forces on Wednesday.
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