Israel and Hamas have reached a significant agreement to release 50 women and children who were abducted and held captive in Gaza.
This breakthrough deal not only includes a four-day ceasefire but also entails the delivery of numerous aid trucks and the release of 150 Palestinian women and children who were detained in Israeli prisons.
The fate of the 240 hostages, who were captured during the Hamas terror attack on October 7, has caused immense distress in Israel, leading to frequent demonstrations demanding their freedom and mounting political pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This agreement has been achieved after weeks of escalating pressure from the United States and other nations concerning the well-being of civilians in Gaza. Local officials report that the Israeli airstrikes and ground assault have resulted in the deaths of over 14,000 individuals, including 5,000 children, and have left more than 1.6 million Palestinians displaced, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Following the growing reports of an imminent deal, the breakthrough was officially announced early Wednesday local time (late Tuesday ET) by Qatar, the Gulf state that serves as the host for Hamas leadership and collaborated with the U.S. and Egypt to facilitate the agreement. Israel’s government granted approval for the deal during the early hours of Wednesday local time.
Hamas, the group responsible for the October 7 attack that resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people according to Israel, confirmed the agreement in a statement, presenting it as an opportunity to “strengthen the determination of our triumphant resistance.”
The statement also specified that all hostages exchanged by both sides must be under the age of 19, although this particular detail was not mentioned by any other party involved. A senior official from the Biden administration revealed that three Americans, including two adults and a 3-year-old girl named Abigail, could potentially be among the first group of hostages to be released.
The exact start time of the pause, which is expected to last for four days, is yet to be announced, as stated by an Israeli official. Additionally, Israeli drones, which have been responsible for a significant portion of the bombardment and have caused psychological distress to many Palestinians due to their constant buzzing noise, will cease flying over the strip for six hours each day while Hamas secures the remaining hostages. It should be noted that some captives are being held by other militant groups, such as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The deal also includes an option to extend the pause in exchange for the release of 10 hostages per day, according to the Israeli official. Meanwhile, there will be an increase in the number of fuel trucks permitted to enter Gaza, a move that Israel had previously resisted due to concerns that Hamas could utilize them to launch rockets and power tunnels.
Additionally, as many as 300 to 400 daily humanitarian aid trucks will be allowed, as confirmed by a senior U.S. official and a source familiar with the negotiations in the region. A senior Israeli official, who outlined the details of the agreement, stated that the government will release 150 Palestinian women and children, none of whom are directly accused of killing Israelis. Netanyahu’s office has released a list of 300 prisoners eligible for release under this agreement.
Biden said in a statement late Tuesday he welcomed the agreement.
First lady Jill Biden “and I have been keeping all those held hostage and their loved ones close to our hearts these many weeks, and I am extraordinarily gratified that some of these brave souls, who have endured weeks of captivity and an unspeakable ordeal, will be reunited with their families once this deal is fully implemented,” he said.
Before the deal was announced, Netanyahu stressed that it would not mean the war with Hamas is over.
“We are at war, and we will continue the war until we achieve all our goals — to eliminate Hamas, to return all our hostages and missing persons and to guarantee that there will be no factor in Gaza that threatens Israel,” he said in remarks Tuesday before the Cabinet vote.
“There are stages in a war, and there are also stages in the return of the abducted,” he added.
