Nov 22, 2023 at 9:49 PM Update: 41 minutes ago
In the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on a four-day break in fighting and the exchange of prisoners. This was preceded by weeks of preparation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with, among others, US President Joe Biden. We know this now.
Hamas and Israel agreed to a four-day ceasefire, plus the release of 50 Israelis and 150 Palestinians. It was also agreed that trucks carrying fuel, humanitarian aid and medical aid would be allowed into the Gaza Strip.
The deal was brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz the agreement has been in the works for almost seven weeks. During that period, Netanyahu spoke with Biden fourteen times about the deal, three times with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and had two more conversations with Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar.
Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi, Qatar’s foreign minister, says in conversation with CNN that the deal between Israel and Hamas was not a certainty. Negotiators “needed a break” when Israel’s ground offensive in the Gaza Strip intensified in late October. The raid on the Al Shifa hospital complex also caused tensions during the negotiations, says Al Khulaifi.
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Hostages are released in groups
Now about the deal itself: Israel has not disclosed many details. A statement from Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office said last night that fifty hostages would be released, all of them women and children. On each day of the four-day ceasefire, a group of ten to thirteen hostages are released.
The ceasefire is extended by one day for every ten additional hostages released. Sources say the ceasefire should start at 10 a.m. local time on Thursday.
Netanyahu called the deal “the right choice” at a press conference on Wednesday evening.
The White House estimates that there are three American citizens among the group of fifty. Three-year-old Abigail Mor Idan will be one of them, writes The Times of Israël. Her parents were killed by Hamas, the newspaper said.
US also part of deal
According to Hamas, at least two hundred trucks with aid, four tankers with fuel and four tankers with gas will be allowed to enter the Gaza Strip.
Israel would also be prohibited from using drones and aircraft over the Gaza Strip between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. local time. This point was more or less confirmed on Wednesday when Jon Finer, deputy national security adviser of the United States, in conversation met CNN said the US would also halt its own drone flights. He thus confirmed that the US is part of the agreement.
Hamas further claims that Israeli troops must remain in position during the ceasefire. No arrests could be made either, says the BBC about Hamas’ statement.
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2023-11-22 20:49:00
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