The Israeli government agreed to a deal early Wednesday that would see the release of some hostages held by Hamas, a government statement said. The decision came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his war cabinet to discuss the terms of the deal following recent progress in negotiations in Doha, Qatar.
“The Israeli government is obliged to return all hostages home. This evening, the government approved the outline of the first stage to achieve this goal, according to which at least 50 hostages – women and children – will be released within four days, during which there will be a pause in fighting,” the statement said, adding that “The release of all ten additional hostages will result in an additional day of cessation of fighting.”
The Hamas leadership issued a statement on Telegram saying it had agreed to the deal, which included a “ceasefire by both parties.” The group, long designated a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and many other nations, also thanked Qatar and Egypt for their support in the negotiations.
Click here to view related media.
Click to expand
According to a senior Biden administration official, three American hostages are believed to be among the 50 women and children released by Hamas in a first wave.
The deal is expected to be implemented 24 hours after its conclusion, which would be early Thursday morning in the Middle East, the official said.
Hamas said on Telegram that the terms of the deal included the release of 50 Israeli women and children hostage in exchange for the release of 150 Palestinian women and children in Israeli prisons. It also said that all air traffic over the southern Gaza Strip and air traffic over the northern Gaza Strip must be suspended for six hours on each day of the lull in fighting and that “hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid, relief supplies, medical assistance and fuel assistance” must be deployed “without exception, north and south,” to all areas of the Gaza Strip.
According to the senior US official, Qatar reached out to the US and Israel to begin talks on the release of hostages in Gaza and called for the establishment of a cell that would work on the matter “very carefully and very secretly” given the “difficult process.” should work on dealing with Hamas. The official added that Qatar “has made it clear from the outset that the hostage crisis is completely outrageous and that these hostages must be released unconditionally.”
Qatar officially announced early Wednesday morning local time that a humanitarian pause had been agreed, highlighting the success of its joint efforts with Egypt and the United States. “The start of the break will be announced within the next 24 hours and will last four days. “Subject to extension,” the Qatari government said in a statement.
Qatar said the terms of the agreement included the release of several Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons, adding that “the number of those released will be increased in later stages of the implementation of the agreement.” The statement also said that the conditions allowed the entry of larger numbers of humanitarian convoys and the entry of relief supplies, including humanitarian fuel, into the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu said in a statement before convening his Cabinet on Tuesday evening that he had asked President Biden to personally participate in the mediation efforts “to improve the draft presented to you.”
“In fact, it has been improved to accommodate more hostages and at a lower cost,” Netanyahu said. “These conversations were productive. President Biden has joined the effort and I thank him for that.”
Netanyahu said his government had “made a difficult decision, but it is the right decision,” adding that “the security of our armed forces will be guaranteed during the break and that intelligence efforts will be maintained these days.”
Mr. Biden said in a statement Tuesday evening that he and first lady Jill Biden “have held all of the hostages and their loved ones in our hearts these many weeks, and I am extremely pleased that some of these brave souls have done so for weeks.” Those who endured imprisonment and unspeakable torture will be reunited with their families once this deal is fully implemented.”
“Today’s deal should bring more American hostages home, and I will not stop until they are all released,” Mr. Biden said.
Vice President Kamala Harris also praised the agreement, saying in a statement that the “flow of aid” to Gaza “must be significantly increased and civilians must be protected.”
Aid will be allowed to flow into Gaza during the pause, with 300 trucks per day carrying supplies, including cooking oil for bakeries and fuel for hospitals, a source familiar with the talks told CBS News.
Analysis of the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas
The deal calls for the release of three Palestinian prisoners in exchange for each hostage released by Hamas, CBS News has confirmed. This 3 to 1 ratio is notable because there is no cap on the possible release of prisoners. The more hostages Hamas finds and releases, the more Palestinians will be freed from Israeli prisons.
A source familiar with the talks told CBS News that most Palestinian prisoners would be released to live in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, although some were from Gaza.
If the first phase goes as planned, about 20 more hostages would be released by Hamas and the pause in fighting would be extended.
Children, estimated to be around 40 among the hostages in Gaza, should be a priority in Hamas’ first wave of prisoner releases. The only American child kidnapped by Hamas is a three-year-old girl.
“My top priority is the safety of Americans abroad, and we will continue our efforts to ensure the release of every hostage and their rapid reunification with their families,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement late Tuesday evening.
Families of hostages held by Hamas lead a march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, ending with a rally in front of the Knesset on November 18, 2023. About 30,000 people took part in the final part of the five-day march. TAMAR SHEMESH/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
Netanyahu stressed in his statement before the meeting that the short pause would not mean the end of the war.
“There is a lot of nonsense saying that after the break to return our hostages we will end the war. Then I want to make it clear: we are at war – and we will continue the war,” he said. “We will continue the war until we achieve all of our war objectives: eliminating Hamas, returning all of our hostages and missing persons, and ensuring that there is no element in Gaza that threatens Israel.”
If the agreement is implemented, an operations center will be set up in Doha, Qatar, to monitor the transfers. The neutral International Committee of the Red Cross is expected to take the Hamas hostages into custody in Gaza and hand them over to Israeli forces.
Israel said Hamas militants took about 240 hostages in their October 7 rampage in southern Israel that killed 1,200 people. So far, only four hostages have been released by the group, and another, an Israeli soldier, was rescued by his comrades in Gaza. Israel also said two hostages were found dead near Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza last week.
Gabrielle Ake contributed reporting.
Israel and Hamas at war
More More Margaret Brennan