Agreement close to free women and minors kidnapped on 7 October. Here’s what Netanyahu gives in exchange
There is a strong possibility that the details of an agreement regarding him will be defined in the next few hours hostages held in the Gaza Strip since the terrible October 7 attack by Hamas in Israel. The Jerusalem Post writes this, citing press reports and high-level Israeli officials. And Axios, citing two sources familiar with the development, writes that it is an agreement between Israel and Hamas for the release of dozens of hostages is imminent and a multi-day ceasefire, which the agreement could be announced today by Qatari mediators and which, according to an Israeli official, the government could meet in the next few hours to approve. And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself clearly said, speaking with the IDF soldiers, that “we are making progress” on the release of the hostages, stating that he hoped for “good news” soon.
The proposed agreement would cover around 50 Israeli minors and their mothers in exchange for a four-day ceasefire. and would be based on the criterion “‘one to three’, three Palestinian prisoners for every hostage”. Axios also writes that under the hostage agreement, Israel would release three Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli hostage released by Hamas and that in the first of the two phases of implementation of the agreement, Hamas would release 50 women and children held in Gaza, while Israel would free around 150 Palestinian prisoners, mostly women and minors.
One of Axios’ sources explained that the release of hostages and prisoners in the first phase of the agreement would take place during a four-day ceasefire in Gaza. And under the agreement, Israel would allow around 300 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid to arrive in the Strip every day via Egypt.
This morning the Palestinian Red Crescent announced that “a total of 1,353 trucks” of humanitarian aid have been “received” since October 21st, “around 42 trucks a day”. According to United Nations estimates in recent weeks, around one hundred trucks of humanitarian aid are needed per day to meet the needs of the people living in the Strip, which has been targeted by Israeli operations since 7 October.
Also according to Axios, in the second phase of the agreement Hamas could release up to another 50 Israelis – including women, children and elderly people – in exchange for an extension by Israel of the ceasefire in Gaza. And Israel would release a number of Palestinian prisoners in line with the same criterion as in the first phase.
Among the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, some have dual citizenship. If the agreement becomes reality it would be the first diplomatic achievement since October 7.
Source-www.adnkronos.com