Uncertainty over the temporary ceasefire, which was extended from two to six days, ended at the last minute. Hamas released 16 more hostages on Wednesday. Among those allowed to leave the Gaza Strip were 10 Israelis, four Thais and two Russians. Among those released is Liat Atseli (49 years old), an Israeli and American citizen.
Israel released another 30 Palestinian prisoners in its prisons.
Thus, the number of Palestinian women and children released from Israeli prisons since the start of the hostage exchange on November 24 has exceeded 200 prisoners.
The number of hostages released by Hamas is 102. 76 of them are Israelis, and the rest are foreigners. The Tel Aviv administration announced on Wednesday that Hamas was holding 161 hostages. With the recent swap, another 16 people have been reduced from that number.
The temporary ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas ended at 07:00 local time (08:00 GMT).
A last-minute agreement was reached between the two parties to extend the temporary ceasefire. The Israeli army announced the extension of the ceasefire, but did not specify a time period. Meanwhile, Hamas announced that the temporary ceasefire would continue for the seventh day.
The Israeli army indicated that the ceasefire was extended to allow time for mediation efforts to release the hostages.
Israel rejected it first
This morning, Hamas announced that it rejected the Israeli offer to extend the ceasefire in exchange for the release of new hostages. The Hamas movement, which rules Gaza, offered to hand over the bodies of seven women and children hostage, in addition to the bodies of three hostages killed in the Israeli bombing, but the Tel Aviv administration rejected this offer.
They didn’t break the unwritten rule
Al Jazeera correspondent Imran Khan, from East Jerusalem, stated that the negotiators are still confident that the ceasefire will continue.
Noting that Israel rejected the hostage list for the first time during the temporary ceasefire that lasted six days, the Al Jazeera correspondent said that the Israelis and local media asked, “What is the problem with the people on this list?” He stated that he asked the question
In addition, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is once again visiting Tel Aviv, the capital of Israel. According to the unwritten rule of Israeli diplomacy, when a senior American official arrives, there will be no major developments, military or political. The Israelis do not appear to be breaking this unwritten rule.
(tags for translation)Israel