1 of 1 More than 200 people were taken hostage by Hamas and taken to Gaza Photo: Getty Images More than 200 people were taken hostage by Hamas and taken to Gaza Photo: Getty Images
The Israeli ambassador to the US hopes that an agreement to release a significant number of hostages will be reached “in the coming days.”
Michael Herzog told ABC that “serious efforts” were being made, but the fewer details he gave, “the greater the chances of such a deal happening.”
In the October 7 attacks, Hamas took about 240 people hostage, killing 1,200 Israelis.
Qatar, which is leading negotiations, also claims an agreement is close to being finalized.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, The Washington Post reported that Israel and Hamas were close to a U.S.brokered deal that would “include the release of dozens of women and children held hostage in Gaza in exchange for a fiveday pause in fighting “provide.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman alThani said on Sunday (11/19) that only “very small” practical and logistical obstacles remain, adding that “we are close enough to an agreement.”
The US has not confirmed any details.
White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson wrote on
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out a complete ceasefire.
Qatar played a leading role in mediating efforts to release hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
The small, wealthy Persian Gulf country has been involved in negotiations that have so far resulted in the release of four people a mother and daughter who are U.S. citizens and two elderly Israeli women.
Qatar is home to the political leadership of Hamas, which has had an office in the country’s capital Doha since 2012 under the direction of the Palestinian group’s leader, Ismail Haniyeh.
This Saturday (18), protesters calling on the Israeli government to prioritize the release of hostages walked from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem before holding a demonstration in front of Netanyahu’s official residence.
Netanyahu has been criticized for not focusing his efforts on the release of the abductees.
In an interview with journalists on Saturday evening, he said the first goal of the war was to destroy Hamas, the second was to return the hostages and the third was to eliminate the threat from Gaza.
“We want answers,” said protester Ari Levi, whose two family members including his 12yearold son were kidnapped by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7.
“It is not normal for children to be held hostage for 43 days. We don’t know what the government is doing, we don’t have any information,” Levi told AFP.
“I want the government to bring them home,” said Dvora Cohen, 43, whose brotherinlaw and 12yearold nephew were kidnapped by Hamas.
This week, the Israeli military announced it had found the bodies of two hostages Yehudit Weiss, 65, and soldier Noa Marciano, 19 in the Gaza Strip.
Israel launched a largescale military operation with air and artillery strikes as well as ground troops aimed at eliminating Hamas.
According to the Hamasrun Ministry of Health in Gaza, the death toll in Gaza stands at 13,000.
It is estimated that more than 2,000 people are buried under the rubble.
This Sunday, the Israeli military released images showing a “55meterlong and 10meterdeep terror tunnel beneath AlShifa Hospital.”
In the video, the entrance to a deep staircase on the ground floor can be seen amid the rubble of the hospital complex, the largest in the Gaza Strip.
Once at the bottom, the troops appear to be walking through a wellbuilt tunnel that leads to a heavy door.
“This type of door is used by the terrorist organization Hamas to prevent Israeli forces from entering Hamas command centers and underground facilities,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement, adding that investigations “continue to reveal the tunnel route.”
Israel accuses Hamas of operating a command and control center beneath AlShifa Hospital allegations the group and the hospital’s medical staff deny.
The BBC was unable to independently verify the video released by the Israeli Defense Forces.