Israel-Hamas detainees deal close; women, children to be released

TEL AVIV —The Israeli Cabinet will meet at 8 pm Israel time, Tuesday, to approve a ceasefire and detainees exchange deal, according to Israeli media.اضافة اعلان

Under the proposed deal that will be brought for a vote of the security Cabinet and government Tuesday evening, Hamas will initially release 53 captives and attempt to release 20 more. 

Israel, in return for the first 53 releases, will agree to a four-day cease-fire, shorter than Hamas's five-day demand.

The deal includes a provision to extend the cease-fire by two days if Hamas releases an additional 20 captives. Israel, meanwhile, is preparing for a potential extension of the cease-fire beyond six days, contingent on further releases.

Under the agreement, Israel commits to refraining from aerial activity over the Gaza Strip for six hours each day during the initial cease-fire days, while Hamas attempts to locate the remaining captives.

Hamas insisted on this to prevent Israel from tracking their locations. The assumption in Israel is that some of the additional 20 captives include children and mothers not initially released. The list does not include foreigners without Israeli citizenship, and it's unclear what will happen if Hamas identifies fewer captives. The deal is also expected to include the release of elderly women.

Believe Israeli women

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HAMAS WAS POLITE & NICE

Released hostages: “Hamas did not abuse us. We were treated very humanely… No one treated us violently.”

“The objective was to kidnap us to Gaza, not to murder us.” https://t.co/3S1oUIks7K pic.twitter.com/a2DAdoDkic

— Njordr (@Njordr6) November 19, 2023

In exchange, Israel will release approximately 140-150 prisoners, including women and minors. Additionally, Israel will allow the entry of fuel into the Gaza Strip and increase humanitarian aid. This arrangement incentivizes Hamas to release more captives, both to secure the release of more prisoners and to extend the cease-fire.

There's a possibility that the number of released captives could reach up to 100. In such a case, Israel would release 300 prisoners, and the cease-fire days could extend to 10 days.

According to the latest information, there are 236 Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip, including 40 children and 13 mothers. Israel estimates that Hamas holds 80 captives who meet the criteria of the deal: children, mothers, and elderly women. In total, Israel is expected to transfer 240 Palestinian POWs to Hamas and commit to an eight-day cease-fire.

The ceasefire is expected to begin on Thursday and last until Sunday.

Qatar, which has mediating between the two sides, is expected to announce the deal late on Tuesday.


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