AFPE An explosion in the Gaza Strip, photographed from Israel
NOS News•today, 02:11•Changed today, 03:53
Israel and Hamas both agree to an agreement on a temporary ceasefire and an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
Around 2 a.m. Dutch time, a majority of the Israeli cabinet gave the green light. A number of the 38 cabinet members voted against the agreement; how much exactly is not clear. Hamas also agreed to the agreements.
The agreement includes a four-day truce. Hamas releases 50 Israeli hostages: 38 children and 12 women. They are released in groups during the pause in fighting.
Israel, in turn, releases about 150 Palestinian prisoners. According to the Jerusalem Post newspaper, these are women and children detained for “security-related offences”. None of them would have direct involvement in actions that resulted in fatalities.
The newspaper also writes that the number of Israeli hostages who have a chance of being released could rise to 80 if it is decided to extend the ceasefire.
Furthermore, a statement from Hamas states that hundreds of trucks carrying aid will be allowed into Gaza. Israeli media also write about this, but there is no information about this in a statement from the Israeli government.
Netanyahu: War continues
Prime Minister Netanyahu warns that the war against Hamas will continue even if a temporary ceasefire is reached. “We are waging a war and we will continue,” he said before the government meeting. “We will continue until we achieve all our goals.”
The agreement was preceded by weeks of negotiations, also involving the United States and Qatar. Israel and Hamas did not negotiate directly, but with the intervention of Qatari negotiators.
AFPF Family members of hostages demonstrate at the Ministry of Defense for a ceasefire
The release of the hostages is of great importance to Israel. The families of the hostages believe that the fight against Hamas is endangering the lives of their loved ones. The families once again made it clear to cabinet members on Monday that the release of the hostages must be a priority.
If the deal is implemented and some fifty people are indeed released by Hamas, the group would hold another 190 Israelis and foreigners hostage. Hamas already released four hostages last month: two American and two Israeli women.
The deal is causing division within the Israeli government. The far right flank of Netanyahu’s government, including Finance Minister Smotrich, previously publicly called the deal bad. The party of radical right-wing Homeland Security Minister Ben Gvir also joined the criticism of his party, Religious Zionism. His party, Otsma Jehudit, demands that not some but all hostages be released.
AFPIsraelis demanded the release of all hostages in Tel Aviv yesterday
Israel was also under great international pressure to reach a truce.
Israel’s bombings have killed 14,128 people in Gaza, including more than 5,000 children, according to the Hamas Health Ministry. Large parts of the area are in ruins and there is a shortage of everything. The population of northern Gaza has largely fled south under pressure from Israel, but is not safe from bombing there either.
In the terrorist attacks of October 7, which sparked the war, Hamas killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Most of them were attacked and killed at home, more than 350 people were killed at a music festival near the Gaza border.
2023-11-22 01:11:38
#Hamas #Israel #agree #truce #exchange #hostages #prisoners
