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Watch: Families of Hamas hostages speak in Washington after ceasefire ends

Holly Patrick
Tuesday 05 December 2023 15:32 GMT
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Watch as family members of people held hostage by Hamas speak in Washington on Tuesday, 5 December.

House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul and ranking member Gregory Meeks were due to hold a press conference with the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and several family members of individuals held by the militant group.

It comes after more than 100 Israeli and foreign hostages were released last week, in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

On Tuesday, Israel intensified its bombardment in and around Khan Younis, Gaza’s second-largest city.

The Israeli military has widened its offensive into southern Gaza after obliterating much of the north in response to Hamas' attack on 7 October.

The combination of aerial bombardment and a ground offensive has driven three-fourths of the territory’s 2.3 million people from their homes.

New evacuation orders are in place for areas around Khan Younis, meaning residents are squeezing into smaller areas of the tiny coastal strip.

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