According to The Washington Post, Israel and Hamas, through US mediation, have reached a “preliminary” agreement on a truce in the Gaza Strip. Under the terms of the agreement, the pause in hostilities will last five days, and the Palestinian group will release dozens of hostages.
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The six-page document implies that the release of the hostages will begin in the coming days. The first fifty or more hostages will be released in separate small groups every 24 hours. Compliance with the truce will be “controlled from the air.” The pause will allow a significant increase in the amount of humanitarian aid, including fuel supplied to the Gaza Strip from Egypt.
A spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in Washington said the country’s authorities “do not intend” to comment on “any aspect of the hostage situation.”
The cessation of hostilities is also intended to allow for a significant increase in humanitarian aid, including fuel coming from Egypt.
According to Arab and other diplomats, the outlines of the agreement were drawn up during talks in Doha between Israel, the US and Hamas, represented by Qatari mediators. However, it was still unclear whether Israel would agree to temporarily suspend the offensive in Gaza under appropriate conditions, the Washington Post reports.
The decision to agree to the agreement is difficult for Israel, one person familiar with the situation, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity, told WP. While Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is under intense domestic pressure to bring the hostages home, there are also voices in Israel demanding that the government not bargain for their release.
Subsequently, Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the US President’s National Security Council, said that “an agreement has not yet been reached, but we are working diligently to secure it.”
Militants from the Palestinian Hamas movement attacked Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostage. The Israel Defense Forces responded to the attack by launching airstrikes into the Gaza Strip and then launched a ground operation. According to the Palestinian side, more than 11 thousand people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.