Israel, the United States and Hamas have reached a tentative agreement to release dozens of women and children held hostage in Gaza in exchange for a five-day pause in fighting, The Washington Post reported Saturday, citing people familiar with the agreement.
As part of the detailed, six-page agreement, all parties would freeze fighting for at least five days while “initially 50 or more hostages will be released in smaller groups every 24 hours,” the Post reported.
Hamas took about 240 hostages in its October 7 rampage in Israel that killed 1,200 people.
It was not immediately clear how many of the 239 people believed to be held captive in Gaza would be released under the deal. The newspaper said overhead surveillance would monitor ground movements to help monitor the break, which is also expected to allow significant humanitarian assistance to be delivered.
But early Sunday morning in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied that such an agreement had been reached.
Israel, the United States and Hamas have reached a tentative agreement to release dozens of women and children held hostage in Gaza in exchange for a five-day pause in fighting, The Washington Post reported Saturday, citing people familiar with the agreement
Civil defense teams along with residents conduct search and rescue operations in the rubble of residential buildings after Israeli attacks hit residential buildings in Jabalia camp in Jabalia, Gaza, on November 18, 2023
Early Sunday morning in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied that such an agreement had been reached
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, of the Islamic group Hamas, was represented at meetings by Qatari mediators
Netanyahu said no agreement had been reached “so far” to release the hostages held by Hamas and dismissed “many false reports” about impending deals.
During a press conference, he added that the Israeli public would be informed if a deal was reached.
There were similar denials from the White House: “No agreement yet, but we continue to work hard to reach an agreement,” said Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council.
However, according to the Post, it is believed that the pause in fighting would allow a significant increase in the amount of humanitarian aid, including fuel, from Egypt.
The deal is said to be the result of weeks of talks in Doha, Qatar, involving Israel, the United States and Hamas, represented by Qatari mediators.
Pressure is mounting on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as more than 100 countries call for a full and immediate ceasefire – but notably not the United States.
An IDF soldier gestures to a tank driver near the northern border with the Gaza Strip on Nov. 17, 2023
People mourn as they collect the bodies of Palestinians killed in airstrikes in Khan Yunis, Gaza, November 18, 2023
Military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari (pictured) said Israel had opened a safe corridor for civilians who were in hospital to travel south at the request of the hospital director
Two of the prisoners taken by Hamas have since been found dead and Hamas says 12,300 civilian Palestinians, including 5,000 children, have been killed during the conflict, now in its seventh week.
Netanyahu said the Israeli offensive in Gaza would continue – although he has now allowed the first regular fuel deliveries to the enclave since the start of the war.
Israel halted all deliveries of food, water and medicine to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
“For international support to continue, humanitarian assistance is essential,” Netanyahu said. “For this reason, we have accepted the recommendation to bring fuel to Gaza.”
The rumors of a ceasefire emerged as thousands of hostage families along with their supporters marched from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for five days, demanding the government take action.
Family members and supporters of about 240 hostages held in Gaza protested in Jerusalem today against Netanyahu’s handling of the war with Hamas and asked the government to do more to bring their loved ones home
The march capped a five-day trek from Tel Aviv and marked the largest protest on behalf of the hostages since they were taken to Gaza by Hamas on October 7 as part of the militants’ deadly attack in southern Israel
The families say the lives of innocent Israelis are worth any short-term government deal to secure their release.
Late Saturday evening, an Israeli embassy spokesman said: “We will not comment on any aspect of the hostage crisis.”
The release of the hostages could begin in the next few days, people familiar with the agreement say.