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Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu at an election party in November 2022

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Tsafrir Abayov / AP

With an unusual initiative, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now trying to secure the release of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.

Sara Netanyahu addressed the mother of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Mosa Nasser Al Missned, in a letter published on Monday evening.

"I urge you, in the spirit of Ramadan, to use your great influence to push for the release of the Israeli hostages," Sara Netanyahu wrote in the letter, which was published on her husband's official account on X.

Qatar is playing an important mediating role in negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

“We cannot remain silent or stand back when the dignity and safety of women are at stake,” Sara Netanyahu wrote.

»It is important to point out from woman to woman that 19 women among the hostages have to endure unimaginable suffering.

The reports of sexual abuse and rape are horrific, and such acts against women cannot be ignored or tolerated." This is a call to action that goes beyond political boundaries and "appeals to our common humanity and our shared values."

The Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has direct contact with the Hamas leaders.

At the end of February he met with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyyeh.

Qatar, Egypt and the USA have been mediating between Hamas and Israel for weeks.

The mediators hoped to reach an agreement by the start of Ramadan.

In addition to a ceasefire, there is also an exchange of hostages who were kidnapped from Israel by Hamas in the terrorist attack on October 7th for Palestinian prisoners from Israeli custody.

In addition, more humanitarian aid should be delivered to the suffering population in the Gaza Strip.

Israel believes that 132 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip.

According to government figures, 31 people are believed to be no longer alive.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has meanwhile confirmed his intention to lead the country to "absolute victory" in the war against the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"On the way to victory, we have already eliminated number four Hamas," he said in a video message on Monday.

"Numbers three, two and one are on the way," he added.

"They're all dead men, we'll get them all."

By number four in the Hamas hierarchy, the Israeli head of government probably meant top official Saleh al-Arouri, who died in an air strike in the Lebanese capital Beirut at the beginning of January.

The targeted killing was attributed to Israel at the time, but Israel has not yet commented on it.

With Netanyahu's video message, Israel may have admitted responsibility for this attack for the first time.

Al-Arouri was responsible within Hamas for maintaining close relations with the pro-Iranian Shiite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon.

He was therefore also of central importance for the acquisition of weapons for the Islamists in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu's comments came hours after Israeli media reported the possible killing of Gaza's third-highest-ranking Hamas official, Marwan Issa.

Accordingly, on Sunday night the Israeli Air Force bombed a building in the Nuseirat refugee camp where Issa is said to have been staying at the time.

The Israeli armed forces are still checking whether he was actually among the victims of the air strike, it is said.

With the numbers one and two, Netanyahu referred to the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, and the head of the Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif.

Both warring parties also reported new fighting on Monday: The Israeli army said it had killed 15 Islamist fighters.

The Hamas authorities spoke of dozens of bombings in various regions of the Gaza Strip, resulting in a total of 67 deaths.

vet/dpa