News- Middle East: Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says it's ready to deliver essential food and medicine to Israeli captives in Gaza, provided that humanitarian aid and crucial medical supplies are allowed unhindered access into the territory for the Palestinian population.

Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Gaza-based movement’s military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement on Sunday evening that his group stands ready to positively address any request from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) regarding the provision of food and medicine to the detainees.

“Our consent to this matter hinges on the creation of humanitarian corridors that are naturally and permanently accessible, and guarantee that food and medicine are delivered to our people in every part of Gaza.”

He also underscored the need for cessation of Israeli airstrikes while aid packages are being delivered to the captives.

“The al-Qassam Brigades do not deliberately starve the captives. They receive the same rations of food as our fighters and our people eat. They won’t be offered any special privileges amid the ongoing crime of starvation and siege,” Abu Ubaida said.

The announcement was made one day following the release of a video by the Brigades, featuring Israeli soldier Avitar David, who appeared noticeably frail and weak.

The video, recorded on July 27, depicted David directly addressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, lashing out at him for neglecting both him and the other Israeli captives in Gaza by declining to accept a ceasefire agreement that might facilitate their release.

In the video, David detailed his severe living conditions: he had gone days without food and subsisted solely on minimal servings of lentils and beans, lacking any access to meat, chicken, or fish.

On Monday, Gaza’s ambulance service reported that two people, including a woman, had been killed and more than 20 were injured after being shot near an aid site north of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

The Government Media Office in Gaza said Israel is deliberately blocking more than 22,000 humanitarian aid trucks from entering the territory.

At least 175 people, including 93 children, have died of hunger and malnutrition across Gaza due to the Israeli-imposed starvation since the onset of the war, according to the health ministry.

At least 60,839 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and another 149,588 individuals injured in the brutal Israeli onslaught on Gaza since October 7, 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and former minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the besieged coastal territory.

Source: Press TV