Hamas and Israel have agreed to release 50 hostages in exchange for a four-day truce. It is not yet known who will be freed.
The agreement reached on November 21 stipulates that 50 hostages could be released during a four-day truce. The agreement ratified by the Israeli government remains fragile. The slightest skirmish could jeopardize it.
The first hostages will not leave Gaza until November 23. In Israel, many families are regaining hope, but remain anxious.
The international community welcomes the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas. US President Joe Biden said he was “extraordinarily satisfied” with the imminent release of hostages kidnapped in Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, under an agreement to which Israel gave the green light on Wednesday. The agreement provides for the release of 50 hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a truce in the Gaza Strip. A spokesman for the UN Secretary-General described the agreement as “an important step forward”, but said that “much remains to be done”.
Hamas reacts to the “humanitarian truce“: “The provisions of this agreement have been formulated in accordance with the vision of resistance and determination, which aim to serve our people and strengthen their tenacity in the face of aggression”. “We confirm that our hands will remain on the trigger and that our triumphant battalions will remain on the alert”, warned the Palestinian Islamist organization.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at 8.15pm, a few hours after the agreement was announced, about the ongoing diplomatic efforts to free the hostages and the difficult decisions he had to make. He also repeatedly paid tribute to his armed forces, while insisting that the war would continue: “Citizens of Israel, I want to be very clear tonight, this war continues, this war continues, we will continue this war in order to achieve all our objectives. The return of the hostages, annihilating Hamas” and making sure that after Hamas, there won’t be a government of terrorists paying to educate children.”
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