Israel approves deal with Hamas to release 50 women and child hostages
The deal will come into effect in 24 hours, giving Israelis opposed to the deal a chance to file a petition with the Supreme Court.
The Israeli government approved a deal with Hamas late Tuesday night which will see the release of 50 children and women held hostage in Gaza in return for a four-day ceasefire.
The deal was announced after 8 hours of marathon meetings in Israel’s war cabinet, security cabinet and the government. The ceasefire is se to come begin at 10:00 AM local time, giving Israelis opposed to the deal a chance to file a petition with the Supreme Court.
Israeli soldiers expected to receive the children are currently receiving training by professionals, with one soldier allocated for each child, according to Channel 12.
Between 12-13 hostages will be released every day, with the Red Cross expected to help facilitate. The hostages will then be transferred directly to one of the following six Israeli hospitals to undergo full medical checks: Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Shamir Medical Centre, Ichilov, Wolfson, and Soroka Hospitals, and the Schneider Children’s Medical Centre.
When the four-day ceasefire is over and all 50 hostages released, Israel agreed to extend the ceasefire with 24 hours in return for 10 hostages.
The deal also includes the release of some 150 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, as well as an increase in humanitarian aid and fuel to Gaza. Israel’s Justice Ministry published a list on Wednesday morning with the names of 300 Palestinian prisoners who are candidates for release.
The youngest on the list are 14 years old and the oldest is a female aged 59. Their crimes range from attempted manslaughter to throwing molotov cocktails and attacking police officers, many of whom are members of Islamic Jihad and Hamas.
Israel-Hamas war day 47:
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— Jotam Confino (@mrconfino) November 22, 2023
An Israeli minister told Jewish News that some of the Palestinians expected to be released in the deal are members of Hamas.
The deal was welcomed by President Herzog who said the reservations among some Israelis “are understandable, painful, and difficult, but given the circumstances I back and support the decision of the Prime Minister and the Government to move forward with the deal to release hostages.”
“This is a moral and ethical duty that correctly expresses the Jewish and Israeli value of securing the freedom of those held captive, with the hope that it will be the first step in returning all the hostages home,” Herzog added.
The United States also welcomed the deal, which was brokered by Qatar and Egypts, which also includes American citizens taken hostage by Hamas.
“I cannot imagine the ordeal that each of these individuals has endured over the past few weeks, and I am thankful that they will be reunited with their loved ones soon,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
“While this deal marks significant progress, we will not rest as long as Hamas continues to hold hostages in Gaza. My highest priority is the safety and security of Americans overseas, and we will continue our efforts to secure the release of every hostage and their swift reunification with their families,” he added.
Qatar said it it hopes that the deal will lead to a “comprehensive and sustainable agreement that will put an end to the war and the bloodshed, and lead to serious talks for a peace process comprehensive and fair.”
Newly appointed UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron called the deal a “crucial step.
“This pause in the fighting is an opportunity to ensure much greater volumes of food, fuel and other life-saving aid can reach Gaza. I urge all parties to ensure the agreement is delivered in full. We want to see all hostages released immediately and families affected by the horrors of the October 7th terror attack reunited,” he added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated ahead of the government’s vote on the hostage deal that the war with Hamas is still ongoing despite a short cease-fire.
“We will not stop the war after the cease-fire. There is nonsense out there suggesting that we will halt the war after the cease-fire to return the hostages. I would like to make it clear – we are at war, and we will continue the war until we achieve all our goals: eliminate Hamas, return all the hostages and missing, and guarantee that there will be no threat to Israel in Gaza,” he said.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant also spoke ahead of the meeting, saying that without continued military pressure on Hamas “there will be no chance of bringing home additional hostages.”
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