2023-11-22 03:43:30
Social Media
Israeli soldiers inside the Gaza Parliament
Israel and the terrorist group Hamas reached this Tuesday (21) a temporary ceasefire agreement in Gaza, with the mediation of Qatar, Egypt and the United States. The agreement involves the release of 50 hostages held by Hamas in response to the October 7 attack, in exchange for the suspension of Israeli attacks on Gaza.
The agreement stipulates the release of 30 children and 20 women, including eight mothers, by Hamas. Israel commits to releasing three Palestinian prisoners for every hostage freed, totaling 150 prisoners.
Additionally, Israel agrees to halt all attacks on Gaza, both air and ground, for up to five days. The Red Cross receives permission to visit the remaining hostages in custody, ensuring access to medicine.
Implementation will take place in five stages, involving the handover of hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The hostages will be transferred to representatives of the Israeli Armed Forces, undergo initial medical examinations and be taken to designated hospitals before being reunited with their families.
Next steps will involve assessments of the hostages’ ability to report what happened before being subjected to interrogation.
The initial release of the hostages is scheduled for Thursday, with the expectation of releasing 12 Israelis per day. The announcement of the deal followed extensive meetings within the Israeli government and its war and security cabinets.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said operations against Gaza would not cease until all hostages were returned safely. The Israeli army emphasized that the agreement would not affect the main objective of eliminating the Hamas terrorist group.
“I want to clarify: we are at war, we will continue to be at war, we will continue to be at war until we achieve all our objectives. We will destroy Hamas, we will return all our kidnapped and missing people, and we will ensure that in Gaza there will be no party that poses a threat to Israel,” he declared.
Israeli political parties, including the coalition, expressed differing views on the agreement. Some right-wing parties opposed it, citing concerns about the impact on Israel’s security. Opposition parties such as the Labor Party expressed support for the deal.
Although the agreement provides temporary relief to Gaza, it is not considered a definitive peace agreement. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh used the term “hudna” in Arabic, referring to a temporary pause. The Israeli government’s objective remains the elimination of the terrorist group Hamas.
Qatar expressed optimism about reaching a deal, saying negotiators were close to a deal. The US and Egypt played crucial roles in mediating discussions between Israel and Hamas.
#Temporary #ceasefire #approved #Israel #release #hostages