The press room of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as reported by Reuters, said that on November 22, the Israeli government chose to support a proposal that would see 50 women and children held prisoner in Gaza by Palestinian Hamas militants in return for a four-day ceasefire in hostilities.
If the first phase proceeds as planned, Hamas would free perhaps 20 additional captives, according to a CBS News report.
The release of detained children—roughly forty of whom are said to be in Gaza—was to be Hamas’ top priority. The report continued by stating that the lone American child that Hamas had stolen was a three-year-old girl.
For days, representatives of the US, Israel, Hamas, and Qatar, which have been facilitating the negotiations, had insisted that a settlement was feasible.
According to Gaza officials, the ceasefire will be the first in a conflict that has destroyed large areas of Hamas-ruled territory, killed 13,300 Palestinians, and rendered two-thirds of its 2.3 million citizens homeless.
Before meeting with his whole cabinet, Netanyahu had meetings with his war cabinet and the cabinet responsible for broader national security on November 21. Israeli estimates place the number of captives held by Hamas during their October 7 assault into Israel—which resulted in 1,200 deaths—at over 200.
Before the announcement, Netanyahu claimed that the preliminary agreement had been revised by US President Joe Biden’s involvement to include more captives and fewer concessions. Netanyahu stated that Israel’s overarching goal remained unchanged.
“We are at war, and we won’t stop fighting until we accomplish all of our objectives. In an audio message played at the beginning of the government meeting, he stated his goals: “to destroy Hamas, return all our hostages, and make sure that no entity in Gaza can threaten Israel.”
A US official informed of the proceedings stated that 150 Palestinian inmates would be exchanged prior to the agreement being completed. The halt would also make it easier for humanitarian supplies to reach Gaza.
