Israeli government approves deal to release hostages in Gaza, official statement says

The Israeli government approved, early Wednesday, November 22, the agreement providing for the release of 50 hostages in the hands of Hamas in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a truce in the Gaza Strip, according to an official statement.

“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 during which there will be a lull in the fighting,” according to an official press release sent to AFP.

Around 240 people were kidnapped during the bloody attack launched by the Islamist movement, in power in the Gaza Strip, against Israel on October 7.“We are getting closer to concluding a truce agreement,” Ismaïl Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, who lives in exile in Qatar, said earlier.

At the end of this phase, Israel remains focused on its objective “to eliminate” Hamas and to promote the release of other hostages in the hands of the Palestinian Islamist movement, the government said.“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,” he declared in a statement in Hebrew sent to AFP.