JERUSALEM: Israel negotiated a deal with Qatar to get medicines through to prisoners still being held in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli prime minister’s office said on Friday.

The deal “will allow the entry of medicines for the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza”, Benjamin Netan­yahu’s office said in a statement.

Around 250 prisoners were seized by Hamas during the raid in southern Israel on Oct 7, 132 of whom remain in captivity, although 25 of those are believed to have been killed, according to Israeli figures.

The families of prisoners have launched a high-profile campaign for the government to ramp up efforts to get them freed.

On Tuesday, the campaign group Hostages and Missing Families Forum released a report saying the captives were in poor health, some with complex illnesses, others with injuries. “All hostages are in great danger and have no time to waste,” they said in their report.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2024