A first respite after more than six weeks of war. The Israeli government gave the green light on Wednesday, November 22, for an agreement allowing the release of at least 50 hostages captured on October 7 by Hamas, in exchange for a four-day pause in the fighting in Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
During the terrorist attacks in Israel, around 240 people were kidnapped and taken to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. In retaliation, Israel launched intense strikes and a ground operation against the Islamist organization in the Gaza Strip. The agreement reached on Wednesday marks the start of a first truce of several days in the fighting, more than a month after the start of hostilities. Main lines, profiles of the released hostages, reactions… Franceinfo takes stock of this key stage of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
At least 50 hostages released after four-day break in fighting
“The government approved the outline of the first stage of an agreement under which at least 50 abductees – women and children – will be released for four days”, the Israeli government said in a statement. Shortly after, the Qatari authorities, at the heart of the talks, confirmed an agreement for “humanitarian break” in the Gaza Strip.
“The start of this break will be announced in the next 24 hours and will last four days, with the possibility of extension”, declared on X the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The latter welcomed the “success” of its joint mediation with Egypt and the United States.
According to the press release, the agreement includes “the release of 50 civilians (…) in exchange for the release of a certain number of Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons”. Qatar specifies that the number of prisoners released, which should be 150 according to Hamas, “will increase in subsequent stages of implementation of the agreement.”
The truce go “allow entry a greater number of humanitarian and emergency aid convoys” in Gaza, “including fuel for humanitarian needs.” Hamas welcomed the “provisions of this agreement [qui] were formulated in accordance with the vision of the resistance”.
No first exchange before Friday
No Israeli hostage held by Hamas will be released before Friday, announced the head of the Israeli National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, while the truce and the first releases were expected on Thursday.“Negotiations for the release of our hostages continue unceasingly.” The start of the liberation will not occur “not before Friday”, he said in a press release overnight, without giving any explanations.
According to a senior White House official, who spoke to the press on Tuesday evening, three Americans are among the 50 hostages to be released initially. “We hope there are French people among them”, also declared the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, Wednesday morning on France Inter. The minister welcomed the agreement, which marks “a moment of real hope”.
Five long weeks of negotiations
To obtain this agreement, five weeks of negotiations “terribly trying” were necessary, the senior American official told the press on Tuesday. The latter described “daily contacts, sometimes hour by hour” for weeks between Israelis, Americans, Qataris and Egyptians.
The senior official spoke of communications “difficult” and laborious, because “messages must go through Doha and Cairo to the Gaza Strip, and return in the other direction.” The deal has started “to take shape” between late October and early November, but Hamas then only provided a list of ten names of hostages who could be released. He ended up providing 50 names of women and children after discussions between the American president and the emir of Qatar, according to the same source.
Still according to this senior official, Israel gave an initial agreement on November 14, but Hamas subsequently stopped responding, then interrupted exchanges several times once contact was re-established. On November 18, a meeting in Doha resulted in a plan in “five to six pages”then a response from Hamas settled the final points the next day.
Reactions are multiplying to welcome the agreement
“I welcome the announcement of an agreement for the release of hostages and a humanitarian trucereacted Emmanuel Macron on the social network X. We are working tirelessly to ensure that all hostages are released. The announced humanitarian truce should make it possible to bring in aid and bring relief to the population of Gaza.”
US President Joe Biden said “extraordinarily satisfied” when the agreement was announced. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, “warmly greeted” this decision. “The European Commission will do everything in its power to take advantage of this pause to organize a surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza,” she added. Germany approved this “advanced” that he “must be used to deliver vital aid to residents”reacted the head of German diplomacy, Annalena Baerbock.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi stressed “the success of the mediation of Egypt, Qatar and the United States”. A senior Palestinian Authority official in the occupied West Bank said that “its president Mahmoud Abbas and his leadership [saluaient] the humanitarian truce agreement”. Beijing “greet” also this release of hostages and this pause in the fighting in Gaza. For its part, the Kremlin sees in this agreement a “good news”.
Reserves in Israel
“The Israeli government, Israeli army and security forces will continue the war to return all abductees, eliminate Hamas and ensure that there is no further threat to the State of Israel from Gaza,” warned the Israeli executive. “We confirm that our hands will remain on the trigger and that our triumphant battalions will remain on the lookout”warned Hamas for its part.
The truce in the Gaza Strip is the point of the agreement “who bothers the most”, estimated Boaz Bismuth, Israeli Likud MP, on franceinfo. “There is this fear on the part of the Israelis that perhaps, afterwards, we will spread out the break (…) and that suddenly Hamas will miraculously find Gaza like that, he said. It’s inconceivable, this ceasefire is temporary, the hostages come home and the war starts again stronger.”he judges.
“Israeli public opinion is really behind the families of the hostages”commented on franceinfo Eleonore Weil, journalist for the Israeli daily Haaretz. “The priority for 99% of Israelis is the release of the hostages. So they are for this agreement, for a ceasefire, with the difficulties that this entails.” On the objective of dismantling Hamas, “The majority of Israelis are behind the government and behind their army”she believes.