The Israeli government agreed to a deal with Hamas that included the release of 50 hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. “We hope that there are French people among them,” Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna responded to France Inter on Wednesday, November 22nd. “We must welcome this agreement. It is a moment of real hope, it is the first time that we are so close to an effective liberation,” added the head of French diplomacy. Follow the situation in our live stream.
Hamas welcomes a “humanitarian ceasefire.” “The terms of this agreement [prévoyant des échanges d’otages détenus par le mouvement islamiste dans la bande de Gaza contre des prisonniers palestiniens] “We confirm that our hands remain on the trigger and that our victorious battalions remain on the lookout,” she warned.
Joe Biden says he is “extremely pleased” with the hostage-taking agreement. US President Joe Biden said he was “extremely pleased” with the impending release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas militants in Israel on October 7, under a deal that Israel gave the green light on Wednesday, November 22.
Start of rest in the next 24 hours. Qatar, which spoke of a “humanitarian pause,” says its start “will be announced in the next 24 hours and will last four days, with the possibility of an extension.”
Fifty hostages involved. The US expects Hamas to release “more than 50” hostages in Gaza. Qatari diplomacy, for its part, confirmed the details of the agreement previously announced by the belligerents: the release of “50 civilian women and children currently detained in the Gaza Strip” in exchange for the release of “a certain number of detained Palestinian women and children.” in Israeli prisons. “The number of released people will be increased in the further phases of the implementation of the agreement,” the Qatari Foreign Ministry assured.