The Israeli government approved a deal with Hamas providing for the release of 50 hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a truce in the Gaza Strip. “We hope there are French people among them”reacted on France Inter the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, Wednesday November 22. “We must welcome this agreement. It is a moment of real hope, it is the first time that we are so close to effective liberation”added the head of French diplomacy. Follow the situation in our live stream.
Hamas welcomes a “humanitarian truce”. “The provisions of this agreement [prévoyant des échanges d’otages détenus par le mouvement islamiste dans la bande de Gaza contre des prisonniers palestiniens] were formulated in accordance with the vision of resistance and determination which aims to serve our people and strengthen their tenacity in the face of aggression”reacted the Islamist organization. “We confirm that our hands will remain on the trigger and that our triumphant battalions will remain on the lookout”she warned.
Joe Biden says he is “extraordinarily satisfied” with the hostage agreement. US President Joe Biden said “extraordinarily satisfied” of the upcoming release of hostages kidnapped in Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, under an agreement to which Israel gave the green light on Wednesday November 22.
Start of calm in the next 24 hours. Qatar, which mentioned a “humanitarian break”, specifies that its beginning “will be announced in the next 24 hours and will last four days, with the possibility of extension”.
Fifty hostages involved. The United States expects that “more than 50” hostages are released by Hamas in Gaza. For its part, Qatari diplomacy confirmed the details of the agreement revealed earlier by the belligerents: the release of “50 civilian women and children currently detained in the Gaza Strip” in exchange for the release of a “a number of Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons”. “The number of people released will be increased during the further stages of the implementation of the agreement”assured the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs.