00:00 As the Israel-Hamas war continues to rage in the Gaza Strip, US President Joe Biden
00:06 has yet again indicated progress in the deal between Israel and Hamas for the release of
00:11 around 240 hostages taken captive during Hamas' October 7 attack.
00:16 Amid the talks of an imminent hostage deal underway, on Monday, the United States said
00:21 that it believes Israel and Hamas are getting closer to reaching an agreement, even as the
00:25 Israeli military's assault on Gaza City continued to fire rockets into Israel.
00:30 On Monday, US President Joe Biden said that he believed an accord was near.
00:34 Speaking on hostage agreement, White House spokesperson John Kirby said, "We're closer
00:39 now than we've been before."
00:41 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with members of his war cabinet and relatives
00:45 of about 240 people held hostage by Hamas during the October 7 attack in southern Israel.
00:51 The meeting was held on Monday evening at the Qiriyah military base located in Tel Aviv.
00:56 The onset of the meeting was marked by disorder as some family members were denied entry,
01:01 leading to disputes due to the limited capacity of the designated auditorium.
01:05 A heated debate ensued during the Israeli Parliament's committee meeting on Monday,
01:09 where family members of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza clashed with Israel's National Security
01:14 Minister Itamar Ben-Givir over the potential consequences of pursuing capital punishment
01:19 for captured Hamas terrorists.
01:21 Ben-Givir, known for his far-right stance, has been pushing for a bill that would implement
01:25 the death penalty for captured Hamas terrorists.
01:29 Family members of some Israeli hostages said they were very disappointed after meeting
01:33 with members of Israel's war cabinet.
01:35 These families fear that even discussing such measures could further jeopardize the safety
01:40 of the more than 240 individuals currently held captive, including around 40 children
01:44 and babies.
01:45 On the other hand, in Gaza, a group of 28 prematurely born babies evacuated from its
01:50 biggest hospital were taken to Egypt for urgent treatment on Monday.
01:54 The newborns had been in North Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital, where several others died after
01:58 their incubators were knocked out amid a collapse of medical services during Israel's military
02:03 assault on Gaza City.
02:05 Israeli tanks encircled the Indonesian hospital in Beit Lahiya on Monday, killing at least
02:10 12 Palestinians and causing numerous injuries.
02:13 The attack was part of a broader conflict that saw 700 patients and hospital staff caught
02:18 under fire.
02:25 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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