Medicines for the Hostages

A number of the 136 hostages remaining in captivity in the Gaza Strip have an urgent need of medicines after more than 100 days away from their homes in Israel.

Thus it was that planes from Qatar carrying medical assistance to both the hostages in Gaza and the people of Gaza landed at the Al Arish airport in Egypt on Wednesday.

There was confusion over the route and process for the medicines to reach the Gaza Strip - whether or not the Israelis would check the shipment. But once delivered they were effectively in the hands of Hamas.

Israel is reported to have agreed to the condition that 1,000 boxes of medicines for Gazan people would be delivered in return for every box provided for the hostages. But there is a problem in that no one can guarantee that the life-saving medicines will actually reach the hostages.

Family members are demanding proof of the delivery and stating that the current mechanism is simply not good enough. "Hamas is getting food, getting medicine, getting fuel, and we’re letting it just get into Gaza."

This report by i24 News: