The Israeli cabinet agreed to a 4-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of 50 hostages by Hamas militants.
The Israeli government has approved the deal to release the hostages
Israel's cabinet has approved a deal to release approximately 50 kidnapped hostages during an attack by the terrorist group Hamas on October 7.
According to the plan, militants will release 30 kidnapped children, eight mothers and 12 more women during the five-day ceasefire.
The Israeli government is committed to returning all abductees home. The government has approved a plan for the first phase of achieving this goal, under which at least 50 abducted women and children will be released within four days, during which there will be a lull in the fighting, the government said.
If Hamas decides to release more hostages, Israel promises one additional day of silence for every ten people released. Israel also agreed to release Palestinian women and minors from prisons and allow them to return to their homes, mainly in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel did not give a specific number, but Hamas said 150 people.
Israel also agreed to allow Gaza additional fuel and significant amounts of humanitarian aid. Hamas said it was holding approximately 210 hostages, including nearly 40 children.
According to Israeli media reports, the first hostages may be released on Thursday, November 23. It is assumed their release will occur in stages — approximately 12 hostages per day.
What is known about the Hamas attack on Israel
On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants attacked southern Israel and killed about 1,400 people, mostly civilians. More than 200 people were taken hostage. In response, Israel began bombing the Gaza Strip, and on October 25 — a ground operation in the exclave.
As of November 14, the Gaza Strip has been cut in half by the Israeli army. Fighting continues in the north, and Gaza City is surrounded. The IDF says Hamas has lost control of Gaza.
Since November 13, fighting has been going on for the city's two leading hospitals — Al-Shifa and Al-Quds. The IDF says the first hospital is Hamas headquarters and has an extensive tunnel system underneath, and the militants also use the second.
About 650 people may be locked up in Al-Shifa, and there are also patients in Al-Quds. There is no electricity or water, which is why the wounded and children are dying.
The Hamas-controlled health service reported on November 13 that 11,240 people, about 40% of whom were children, had already died in the Gaza Strip since the start of shelling and airstrikes.
