Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated in an interview with the American network NBC on Sunday the possibility of reaching an agreement to release hostages held by Hamas.
Announcement
When asked about the possibility of reaching an agreement regarding women, children and the elderly held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu replied, “It is possible, but the less I say about this issue, the greater the chances of it being achieved.”
Netanyahu considered that things were progressing thanks to Israeli military pressure, saying, “We were not close at all (to reaching an agreement), until we started ground operations… The moment we started ground operations, things began to change.”
He added, “Pressure on Hamas leaders is what could lead to an agreement, and if an agreement is available, we will talk about it when it exists, and we will announce it if it is reached.”
The Israeli army estimates that about 240 people were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip during the first day of the Hamas attack. Among the detainees are at least thirty minors, including children, according to Israeli media.
A Palestinian official in Gaza told Agence France-Presse, requesting that his identity not be revealed, that Benjamin Netanyahu is “responsible for obstructing and obstructing reaching an initial agreement to release a number of resistance prisoners,” adding that “the resistance in the field is not affected by the progress of the negotiations.”
The Israeli Prime Minister was also asked about the issue of hospitals in Gaza, which are in the line of fire as the fighting intensifies, especially Al-Shifa Hospital, where thousands of patients and displaced people are located.
Netanyahu said in an interview with the American CNN channel, “There is no reason not to remove patients from there.”
“We ask them to leave,” he continued, adding, “We are helping them by establishing safe corridors… We have identified roads leading to a safe area south of Gaza City.”
The Israeli Prime Minister confirmed that about 100 patients were evacuated from Al-Shifa Hospital.
Additional sources • AFP
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2023-11-12 17:42:55
