Iran has warned that the flames of war will spread across the Middle East if Israel’s ceasefire with Hamas is not extended.
The chilling statement was made by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian – after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza for at least four days on Wednesday.
It was decided to let in aid and release at least 50 hostages held by militants in the Palestinian enclave in exchange for at least 150 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.
Israeli families are now waiting anxiously to see whether their children will come home tomorrow as Hamas terrorists reveal the names of the 10 hostages who will be released this evening as part of the temporary ceasefire.
Israel agreed last night on a deal that will see the release of 50 women and children abducted by Hamas gunmen on October 7 during the ceasefire.
Soldiers during a military operation in the Gaza Strip amid ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas
Israeli soldiers stand near the opening to a tunnel on the grounds of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City
On the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip, smoke rises from buildings as a result of Israeli attacks
Israeli tanks on the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel
Israeli soldiers ride in a military vehicle amid the Israeli army’s ongoing ground operation
An Israeli soldier patrols Gaza City amid the Middle East conflict
Israeli tanks are deployed in Gaza City as the Israeli army continues to conduct ground operations
An Israeli tank operates surrounded by smoke and destroyed buildings
Palestinians wait before leaving the northern Gaza Strip via a humanitarian corridor
The remains of a promenade on the Mediterranean, amid the Israeli army’s ongoing ground operation
An Israeli soldier walks through a tunnel under Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City
Palestinians search for injured people at the site of Israeli attacks on a house in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday
According to Egyptian media reports, the process to rescue the first group of hostages is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. (8 a.m. GMT) tomorrow. Some have suggested it could happen even earlier, at 7am local time. Israel has yet to confirm the timing.
The relatives of the hostages have been waiting in agony and do not know whether their relatives will be among those released tomorrow.
But for some, that agonizing wait will end tonight after it was announced that Hamas terrorists will provide Israel, through the Red Cross, with the names of the ten hostages set to be released tomorrow, Israel National News reports.
Ten hostages will reportedly be released on Friday and Saturday, and another 20 on Sunday – the last day of the ceasefire.
But concerned relatives of the hostages fear that Hamas cannot be trusted. An exhausted family member said the terrorists would do “everything they can to ruin the deal.”
Yosi Shnaider, whose cousin Shiri, 30, was kidnapped with her four-year-old son Ariel and 10-month-old son Kfir, told the BBC he was worried the deal might not go through. “I’m trying to be realistic and know who we’re dealing with.” “They’ll do anything to ruin even this deal and I’m scared,” he said.
Palestinian mourners attend the funeral of six Palestinians killed in clashes with Israeli forces
An Israeli tank on the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel amid the ongoing conflict
Israel agreed last night on a deal that will see the release of 50 women and children abducted by Hamas gunmen on October 7 during the ceasefire
Palestinian children injured in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip are treated at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday
A Palestinian child injured in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip is treated at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday
And Israeli politician Ben Gvir said the release of the hostages sets a “dangerous precedent” that could play into the hands of terrorists. The far-right politician said the deal, which called for the release of 150 Palestinians in exchange for 50 hostages, gave Hamas terrorists everything they wanted.
“Hamas wanted this ceasefire more than anything,” Gvir said on Twitter. “It also wanted to ‘get rid’ of the women and children in the first phase because of international pressure on them.” In return, it wanted to receive fuel, the release of terrorists, the cessation of IDF actions and even a… [reconnaissance] Ban on flights. It has all of that.’
He also criticized the deal for failing to ensure the release of all hostages held in Gaza, calling it “immoral, illogical and not nearly enough” while saying it “could and should have been different.”
Still, some families of the abducted women and children say they are “very happy” with the deal as they wait anxiously to find out which of their loved ones will return home.