Israel accepts agreement for Hamas to release hostages

2023-11-23 01:49:56

A four-day truce was granted by Israel to Hamas in the seven-week war. The agreement aims to release dozens of hostages held by the terrorist organization that commands the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli territory.

The agreement was announced this Wednesday, November 22, after Qatar, Egypt and the United States brokered the negotiations. The temporary ceasefire is expected to begin tomorrow morning, November 23rd.

Hamas says 50 of the 240 hostages will be released in stages in exchange for the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners, most of them teenagers jailed for minor crimes. Additionally, Israel will allow hundreds of trucks filled with humanitarian and medical supplies to enter Gaza.

“I welcome the commitment Israel has made to support an extended pause to ensure this agreement can be fully implemented and to ensure additional humanitarian assistance reaches civilians in Gaza,” said US Vice President Kamala Harris.

“The flow of aid must increase substantially and civilians must be protected. We also call on Hamas to release all remaining hostages,” added the vice president, according to information from the portal The Christian Post.

War far from over

Last Tuesday, November 21, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised that Israel “would continue the war” until eliminating Hamas and ensure the return of all hostages.

“All security agencies fully support [a trégua]. They made it completely clear in their professional assessment that the security of our forces will be guaranteed during the pause and that the intelligence effort will be maintained during these days”, declared the Prime Minister.

“[Os intermediadores] have made it clear that not only will the war effort not be harmed, but it will also allow the IDF to prepare for continued fighting,” he added.

Israel says the ceasefire could be extended if more hostages are released. A Palestinian source told Reuters that up to 100 hostages could be released by the end of November.