On November 21, 2023, Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Hamas, including terms for exchanging hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led the talks. The decision follows several important meetings.
In the deal’s first stage, Hamas will release about 50 Israeli captives. These include women and children from Gaza.
In exchange, Israel will free around 150 Palestinian prisoners. This group is mainly women and minors. The exchange occurs during a ceasefire lasting four days.
CNN reports that Israel’s Cabinet strongly supported this decision. The agreement took over six hours of discussion.
Part of the deal is about aid for Gaza. Israel will allow 300 trucks of aid daily. These trucks will come from Egypt. More fuel will also enter Gaza during this ceasefire.
The second stage involves further prisoner exchanges. Hamas will release more hostages. Israel will extend the ceasefire in return.
Since October 7, about 240 people have been held hostage. Most of them are Israelis.
Addameer, a human rights group, gives more details. They say Israel held about 200 men and 75 women. Many are teenagers.
These numbers increased since October’s start. Data comes from the Israel Prison Service and detainees’ families.
Israel Made Many Arrests
The New York Times adds that Israel made many recent arrests. These occurred in the West Bank, an area with rising protests.
Israel says these arrests target Hamas and prevent terror. Addameer notes the total number of Palestinian political prisoners in Israel.
It includes over 7,000 individuals. This number includes people from Gaza and the West Bank. Most are under “administrative detention.”
This means they are held without specific charges. Axios reveals more about the deal. It says the names of Palestinians to be freed will be public within 24 hours.
Israeli citizens can challenge these releases in court. Israel will not release Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis.
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