2023-11-23 07:35:59
► No release of hostages or stopping of fighting before Friday
The truce agreement between Israel and Hamas providing for the release of 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners will not come into force before Friday, Israeli officials announced Thursday, November 23. Media reports and officials had said the truce would come into effect on Thursday, with a Hamas official saying he expected that day to “a first exchange of 10 hostages for 30 prisoners”.
But the head of the Israeli National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, declared overnight that the release of the hostages will not take place “not before Friday” and that the negotiations “continue incessantly”without discussing the latest negotiations in progress.
Therefore, there will be no “no break” in the fighting on Thursday, an Israeli official said immediately. During the night, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported Israeli strikes causing “tens” deaths in different sectors of the Gaza Strip.
► The truce postponed for details on the list of hostages to be released
A Palestinian official told AFP on Thursday that the truce in the Gaza Strip had been postponed due to discussions ” of last minute “ on the “names of Israeli hostages and terms of their surrender” to a third party.
“Qatar, in coordination with the Egyptians and Americans, is expected to announce in the coming hours today” the start time of the truce, he said.
► A doctor at al-Chifa hospital announces that its director was arrested by the Israeli army
Khaled Abou Samra, head of department at al-Chifa hospital in Gaza City, announced early Thursday the arrest of the director of the establishment, currently under the control of the Israeli army which says it is looking for military installations there. of Hamas.
“Doctor Mohammed Abou Salmiya was arrested with several other healthcare executives”, indicated Doctor Abou Samra. Doctor Abou Salmiya recounted having received a “order” evacuation on November 18 after saying it had refused a previous one, while the Israeli army claimed to have evacuated hundreds of patients and displaced people from al-Chifa to the ” request “ from the same doctor.
► The agreement criticized by part of the Israeli government
The Israeli government approved this agreement, despite internal dissensions, with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir (far right) citing a“historical error”because the break will, according to him, allow Hamas to strengthen itself.
“Citizens of Israel, I often have to decide between a choicedifficult and an even more difficult choice and this is particularly the case with hostages”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared late Wednesday evening.
The main association of hostage families declared itself” happy “of the announcement of an agreement for a“partial release”of 50 hostages, children and women, but said he did not know at the moment “who will be released and when”.
► 300 Palestinian prisoners likely to be released
Detailing the terms of the agreement, Qatar’s foreign affairs spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, said that “every day a certain number of hostages will be released, and this number is expected to reach 50 by the 4th day” truce. The agreement does not provide for the release of kidnapped soldiers.
Israel has released a list of 300 Palestinian prisoners likely to be released (33 women, 123 adolescents under the age of 18, and 144 young people around the age of 18). Among them are 49 Hamas members.
According to the Israeli authorities, other exchanges could take place as part of an extension of the truce, with a total of 100 hostages for 300 Palestinian prisoners.
At the Vatican, Pope Francis separately received relatives of hostages and Palestinians with family in Gaza. He warned against “ a mountain of dead » in this war.
► Son of Hezbollah MP killed in Israeli bombing in Lebanon
The son of Mohamed Raad, a leading Hezbollah member of the Lebanese parliament, was killed Wednesday in an Israeli bombing in southern Lebanon, a source close to the family said.
The son of Mohamed Raad, president of the Hezbollah group in parliament, “was killed, along with other members of Hezbollah” in an Israeli strike on a house in the village of Beit Yahoun, said the source, who requested anonymity.
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