The truce between Israel and Hamas risked lasting just under 24 hours but, thanks to the mediation of Qatar and Egypt and the intervention of US President Joe Biden, the exchange between Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners was confirmed in the evening.
Thirteen Israelis - and according to initial information also 7 foreigners - left the Strip in the evening in exchange for 39 Palestinians 50 days after the October 7 massacre. A turning point after 5 hours of uncertainty, and anguish for the relatives, in which it seemed that the agreement was on the verge of falling apart already on the second day.
The 13 Israeli hostages, almost all from Kibbutz Beeri - one of the most affected on October 7 - have passed into the hands of the Red Cross and Israel will start the procedures for the release of the 39 Palestinian prisoners who are in Ofer prison.
It was Hamas who delayed the release, justifying it with the fact that "Israel has not implemented the elements of the agreement".
An accusation completely rejected by Israel which threatened "the resumption of fighting from midnight tonight if the hostages are not freed". The halt to the agreement came from the al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, which targeted the failure to comply with «the agreement on the entry of humanitarian trucks into the northern Gaza Strip and the failure to comply with the agreed standards for the release of prisoners."
Hamas's objection, according to what was learned, referred to the names and the temporal order in which Israel scheduled the release of Palestinian prisoners. Israeli political sources, quoted by the media, responded that «there has been no violation of the agreements. Just as Hamas decides at each stage who to release from its hostage list, we decide which Palestinian security detainees are to be released in exchange." According to security sources, 61 trucks of humanitarian aid were transferred to the north of the Gaza Strip out of the 200 that passed today, including fuel and gas tankers. Hamas responded that “340 trucks have entered Gaza since last Friday, 65 of which have reached the north of the Strip. A number that is less than half of what Israel has agreed upon."
In the evening Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the National Security Council, reported that Joe Biden spoke directly with the Emir of Qatar and the Prime Minister of Qatar,
After that call, senior U.S. officials reached out to the Israelis, Qataris and Egyptians to overcome obstacles and enforce the agreement to hand over the prisoners.
(Unioneonline)