Israel’s war Cabinet on Tuesday night approved a long-awaited deal to temporarily pause the fighting in Gaza in exchange for Hamas’ release of dozens of hostages.
Can’t make heads or tails of the deal? Not to worry. YWN reporter Moshe Schwartz has you covered with his analysis of it. Here it is:
–Israel says–
• It will get at least 50 hostages from Hamas over a 4-day period.
• They will be women and children.
• It has agreed to a 4-day ‘pause in fighting’ during that time.
• Every additional 10 hostages released after that point will result in an additional day of no fighting.
• After the pause in fighting, Israel will return to its stated goal of freeing the remaining hostages and destroying Hamas.
An Israeli official told reporters (earlier today before an official statement was released) that over the next 24 hours, the names of Palestinian prisoners set to be released will be made public so that Israeli citizens can appeal against their release. Israel will not release Palestinian prisoners who have been convicted of killing Israelis.
–Hamas says–
• It has agreed to a 4-day ceasefire
• No IDF activity allowed during that time in all of Gaza and no vehicles allowed to enter into Gaza.
• Hundreds of trucks of humanitarian aid, including medical and fuel, to arrive in all areas of Gaza including the north.
• It will release 50 women and children hostages under 19 years old.
• Israel will release 150 women and children under the age of 19 that are being held in Israeli prisons.
• All air traffic over northern Gaza will halt (including drones) from 10 am to 4 pm each day (6 hours).
• Israel has agreed not to attack or arrest anyone anywhere in Gaza during the ceasefire.
• Israel has agreed to the free movement of people from northern Gaza to southern Gaza.
–Media says–
• The deal was approved by a significant majority of the Israeli cabinet (CNN)
• Hebrew media says Israel is expected to release about 150 Palestinian prisoners, mostly women and children over the four-day pause. (Axios)
• Three Americans could be part of the agreement securing the release of 50 women and children held hostage in Gaza. (CNN)
• Israel will allow around 300 aid trucks per day to enter Gaza from Egypt. More fuel will also be allowed in during the pause in fighting. (Axios)
• There are various locations where the hostages will be brought out of Gaza. (CNN)
• After their safe passage, the released hostages will receive medical attention in Israel. (CNN quoting NSC’s Kirby)
• Roughly 12 hostages will be released daily by Hamas (AP)
–So when does it start?–
• While neither statement said when the truce would begin, Israeli media reported that the hostages could begin to be released as soon as Thursday. (AP)
• The deal cannot be enacted until Thursday at the earliest, to allow time for judicial approval. (NYT)
Confused About The Israel-Hamas Hostage/Ceasfire Deal?
So am I. So I'm going to break it down below by what Israel and Hamas have confirmed and what media reports are saying (I read tens of articles so you don't have to).
Hopeful we'll all be the wiser😀Let's go!
–Israel… pic.twitter.com/e0YH6zpjik
— Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) November 22, 2023
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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13 Responses
So Hamas wins this one! They attack, they get attacked and they govern the rules – very much in their favor – of a truce!
To me, and only me, Isreal did their own a disservice. It may even border of disgracing the fallen soldiers! That’s my opinion! I do concede that I do not know nearly as much as those who needed to make this difficult decision.
“No IDF activity allowed during that time in all of Gaza and no vehicles allowed to enter into Gaza.”
Wait, so the IDF is going to leave northern Gaza and basically just hand back all the hard-earned territory they’ve captured, and allow Hamas to reposition themselves? This doesn’t sound right.
This may not be popular, but the main priority should not be freeing the hostages, it is to eliminate Hamas.
This is a disgrace to all the fallen soldiers. Stop paying politics and wipe out Gaza. Everyday more and more soldiers are getting killed just so bibi can negotiate with terrorists and lose. Israel isn’t the same Israel like back in the 60s or 70s
A lopsided awful deal. Horrific and ongoing cruelty and torture being dragged out to make it more excruciating. And the worst is that the world is rewarding the perpetrators for their heinous behavior.
Shaul Hamelech 2.0
“Hamas is begging for a breather”.
Yeah, right. This is not what begging for a breather looks like. This looks like Israel is begging for a deal, any deal, even one that incentivizes terror.
Northern Hamas is a parking lot, many Gazan children died but Hamas itself is thriving. They were able to send hundreds of rockets within the past 2 days. If Hamas was begging for a breather, we wouldn’t have seen the hundreds of rockets aimed at central Israel within the past 2 days.
Israel isn’t achieving their aims because if they were then those hostages would be released for free either by capture or by Hamas actually begging for a ceasefire in exchange for all of them and nothing else.
The USA are the ones begging for a breather because it doesn’t look good for Bidens nonexistent reelection campaign.
@Yaapchik, You need to start with your END comment that you “do concede that I do not know nearly as much as those who needed to make this difficult decision.” And then go no further.
Why even offer an opinion from admittedly great heights of ignorance? Why speculate without having all facts and figures on the hostages, security dynamics, needs of the war on Israel’s side and on and on and on… It’s amazing that you HAVE an opinion from so limited a position, never mind that you feel a need to publicly share it.
So Israel has a “weakness”. It cares too much about its citizens! Thank G-d for such weaknesses!
terrible deal.
i don’t want to know the details . As usual , the Yidden are the oppressors , have to give in , & everything is the same . Oey .. when will Hashems promise be fulfilled
1. How is it that 1 hostage is traded for 3 convicted criminals?
2. Will those “humanitarian aid” trucks be monitored by the Israelis as to whether the aid goes to Palestinian civilians or Hamas terrorists?
The religious parties Gimel & Shas voted for it, because דעת-תורה told them 2 out of respect for the dire suffering of the hostages.
Hence unfortunately I have to withdraw my support >>>vote for Ben Gvir, who was too brash to consider the human suffering of the innocent 240 hostages, which Clearly is more important than everything else in the entire universe, combined
Removing all the blue from the Israeli flag.