The Israeli Cabinet agreed to a deal with authorities in the Gaza Strip for the release of dozens of hostages in exchange for a pause in military action and the release of Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
The deal was mediated by Qatari officials and included two phases.
The first phase involves Hamas releasing about 50 women and children being held hostage in Gaza. Israel will pause military action in Gaza by four days and release about 150 Palestinian prisoners, also mostly women and children, during that pause.
The second phase would include Hamas releasing more children, women, and elderly hostages in exchange for Israel extending the military pause for several days.
Israel will also allow 300 aid trucks to enter Gaza from Egypt on a daily basis.
About 240 hostages were abducted during an invasion from Gaza into southern Israel where 1,200 were slaughtered by terrorists. U.S. officials have confirmed that at least 20 of the hostages were American citizens.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated the the war would continue after the military pause “until Hamas is destroyed, all the hostages are released and there is nobody in Gaza who can threaten Israel.”
He also thanked President Joe Biden and said that he had helped make the hostage deal less costly.
“It was improved so that it will include more hostages for a lower cost,” Netanyahu said. “President Biden helped and I thank him for that.”
An Israeli official said that they would not be releasing any Palestinian prisoner who had been convicted of killing Israelis. There also will be a 24-hour period where the families of the Israeli victims of Hamas can appeal the hostage release to the Supreme Court.
Here’s more about the hostage deal:
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