The Israeli government approves an agreement with the terrorist group, negotiated by Qatar and the USA, which provides for the release of 50 Israeli hostages (30 children and 20 women) and a several-day truce in the fighting. The terrorist group Hamas reached an agreement this Wednesday (22/11) for the release of at least 50 hostages in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a four-day truce. The weeks-long negotiation was mediated by Qatar.
In the first major diplomatic advance of the conflict, Hamas committed to freeing, during the four-day truce, 50 women and children (30 children, 12 mothers and eight elderly women) captured in the attack on Israel on October 7, when the terrorists by In this group they killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped about 240. In response, Israel launched a military operation with missiles and ground troops in Gaza.
Hours before the announcement, Hamas had already said that “the ball” was “in Israel’s court”, after the group informed its position on the deal to mediators from Qatar and Egypt. The deal was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet after a meeting that lasted most of the night.
All members of Netanyahu’s government voted in favor of the exchange and truce, except for the three ministers of the Jewish Power Party (Otzma Yehudit) and the ultra-right and Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir. The approval was one of the last hurdles after what a US official described as an “extremely painful” five weeks of negotiations.
After the deal was announced, Israeli military operations continued on “sea, land and air” in the Gaza Strip, according to an announcement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). According to Qatar, one of the main negotiators, the start of the truce will be announced within the next 24 hours.
What the agreement provides
According to information released by the Israeli press, the pact also allows the number of freed hostages to be increased to 80, just as the four-day truce can be extended for many more days. Israel has declared that for every ten additional hostages released there will be an additional day of truce. Hamas will take the hostages to Egypt through the Rafah crossing in daily groups of about ten people and from there they will be handed over to Israel.
In turn, Israel must release around 150 Palestinian prisoners, also mostly women and minors who have not been convicted of blood crimes.
Additionally, the Israel Defense Forces have pledged not to fly over the Gaza Strip for six hours a day during the truce, to allow Hamas to locate hostages held by other armed groups, such as Islamic Jihad. According to some estimates, Hamas holds between 210 and 240 hostages, while Palestinian Islamic Jihad holds around 30 captive.
According to the Israeli press, the agreement would also provide for the entry into Gaza of 100-300 trucks with food, medical aid and fuel. The temporary truce will begin as early as Thursday to allow 24 hours to lodge any appeals against the government’s decision in the Supreme Court.
The pact does not provide for the release of soldiers or men, and the bodies of dead hostages will not be recovered. However, the Israeli press reported that elderly men and foreign national hostages may be exchanged. Another point highlighted by the Israeli press is that Hamas will have to announce the names of the people to be released one day in advance.
The offensive continues
Netanyahu assured, before the government meeting that approved the agreement, that the pact provides that the Red Cross will visit the hostages and offer them medical assistance. Before the talks in his office, the prime minister said that accepting this agreement, which Hamas has been discussing for a month, “is a difficult decision, but it is the right decision.”
However, Netanyahu warned that this truce does not mean the end of the offensive. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, subordinate to the Hamas government, more than 14,000 people have been killed since the start of the conflict.
“There’s a lot of nonsense out there that, after the pause to return our hostages, we will stop the war. Well, let’s be clear: we are at war and we will continue the war. We will continue the war until we achieve all our objectives : eliminate Hamas, return all hostages and missing persons and ensure that there is no element in Gaza that threatens Israel,” Netanyahu said before the meeting.
The pause comes after weeks of growing pressure from the international community and major international bodies such as the United Nations to stop the attacks, which have forced more than 1.5 million people to flee their homes.
The negotiations involved the CIA, the Israeli spy agency, the Mossad, Egyptian intelligence and leaders in Doha, Cairo, Washington, Israel and Gaza.
The United States and Germany welcome the agreement
After the deal was announced, US President Joe Biden said he was “extraordinarily pleased that many of these brave souls will be reunited with their families once this deal is fully implemented.”
Biden also praised Netanyahu for his “commitment” to “an extended pause to ensure that this agreement can be fully implemented and ensure the provision of additional humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of innocent Palestinian families in Gaza.”
“It is important that all aspects of this agreement are fully implemented,” Biden warned. The president also indicated that the “top priority” is ensuring the safety of the American hostages.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock welcomed the agreement. “The announced release of the first large group of hostages is a step forward, even if nothing in the world can alleviate their suffering. The humanitarian pause must be used to bring vital aid to the people of Gaza,” he wrote on his profile on . , formerly Twitter.
cn/as (Efe, Lusa, APF)
Source: Terra
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