By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ
McALLEN, Texas | It began today. Hostages freed from Gaza are now returning to Israel and Palestinian prisoners to their homes in the Gaza Strip. The agreement also comes with an announced four-day ceasefire that could be extended if Hamas releases the remainder of the Jewish hostages it captured in the Oct. 7th attack on Israeli settlers.
The U.S. has backed the truce, but also warned Israel that support for its bloody, all-out invasion of Gaza is waning. Humanitarian groups elsewhere in the world are demanding removal of aid barriers.
This excerpt from axios.com: [ A four-day pause in the fighting in Gaza started on Friday morning local time, with Hamas expected to release the first group of Israeli hostages in the afternoon under a deal between the militant group and Israel.
Hamas agreed to free at least 50 women and children over the four-day pause, while Israel is set to release 150 Palestinians, primarily women and children, held in Israeli prisons.
The first group of hostages is expected to be released at 4 pm local time on Friday.
Under the deal, Israel will also allow hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid and additional fuel to enter Gaza each day during the pause.
The deal came after weeks of sensitive Qatar-mediated negotiations, which also involved the Biden administration at the highest levels.
Israeli and U.S. officials have said the deal is structured to incentivize Hamas to release more than 50 hostages. Under the agreement, Israel will extend the pause by a day for every 10 additional hostages released. ]
Good news during war time sometimes comes in little advances. Israel's withering attack has destroyed much of Gaza City's skyline and infrastructure.
An estimated 13,000 Palestinians have been killed.
American President Joe Biden is being a bit more critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a development some said led to Israel's decision to the ceasefire...
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Hopefully Hamas and Iran will abandon their aim of ending Israel. For the good of their own people they need to recognize and honor Israel’s right to exist. It’s not in their nature, we know, but it’s the only way forward that does not end in destruction.
ReplyDeleteEcho that.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that the hostages released, and their families are very happy that they are returning, and I am glad for them. I am seriously concerned about rewarding terrorists for bad behavior. I know it sounds cold, but when a hostage is taken, that person should be immediately considered lost and gone. That way, those responsible can be relentlessly pursued, and eliminated. Then, there would be much less incentive, in the future, to take hostages.
ReplyDeleteGood, reliable info here. Thank you, sir.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the chances of this going down as agreed upon are pretty slim.
ReplyDelete