Israelis and Hamas in Gaza After the September 7, 2007 Israeli-Jasov War: Israel-Hamas Intentions to Release Security Prisoners

The first group convinced Mr. Netanyahu to hold off on the vote for the cabinet, according to three officials. The hope was that more military pressure would allow Israel more influence at the negotiating table.

According to several senior security officials, a group led by David Barnea, the head of Mossad, argued that the agreement was better than nothing and that the invasion could go on despite the brief cease-fire.

Israel and Hamas have been locked in indirect negotiations to clinch the final details of the agreement, which includes a four-day pause in hostilities during which at least 50 women and children held hostage in Gaza would be exchanged for 150 Palestinian women and minors imprisoned in Israeli jails.

The Israeli prime minister’s office said it had received an initial list of names of the hostages who would be released and had contacted their families. It wasn’t clear how many names were on that list.

Palestinians in Gaza greeted the prospect of even a temporary cease-fire with a mix of relief and caution after seven weeks of Israel’s withering airstrikes and ground invasion. More than 12,000 people have been killed in Gaza by Israel since Hamas launched their attack on October 7, health officials said.

The cease-fire agreement announced early Wednesday between Israel’s government and Hamas raised hopes for a respite in the fighting and for families to be reunited with their loved ones. The agreement was fragile and the mutual trust was intense, so they had to talk about details for the rest of the day.

Although the names of the Israelis that Hamas intends to free have not been made public, news of the deal sparked hope among families on both sides of conflict who have waited anxiously for the release of their loved ones.

All the names on the list were described as “security prisoners,” or people who had been arrested in connection with offenses against national security. The prisoners are accused of offenses including supporting terrorism, acts of violence and throwing stones. There are several charges of attempted murder. The majority of the inmates on this list weren’t convicted of any charges.

Hen Avigdori, an Israeli comedy writer whose wife Sharon and 12-year-old daughter Noam are being held in Gaza, said the Israeli army promised to notify him ahead of time if they are slated to be released.

A Palestinian resident of Jerusalem, Yousef Afghani, was surprised to see his 40-year-old daughter Aisha Afghani on Israel’s list of prisoners it is prepared to release. She has served seven years of her 15-year sentence, convicted for an attempted 2016 stabbing in which no one was wounded. Her father told NPR she was carrying a knife but denied she attempted a stabbing.

“My feelings are the feelings of any father. Afghani told NPR that it was a celebration for happiness and joy. But he also condemned the kidnapping of Israelis to Gaza, which resulted in the deal to free his daughter. We are against attacks against civilians.

Meanwhile, in Rome, Pope Francis met separately with Israeli relatives of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, and families of Palestinians held in Israel. In unscripted remarks afterward, Francis said he felt “both sides are suffering,” but that the conflict had “gone beyond war. This is not war; it’s terrorism.”

People from other countries are also believed to be held by Hamas. Among them are more than 20 Thai farm laborers seized near the Gaza border in the Oct. 7 attack. Fox says she understands that the Thais are not part of the exchange deal.

The deal allows for significant humanitarian aid into Gaza, including desperately needed fuel to run generators, which is the only source of electricity in the besieged territory according to Israel’s Channel 12 news. Since Israel launched airstrikes and a subsequent ground invasion of Gaza after last month’s Hamas attack, the territory’s 2.2 million people have experienced dire shortages of food, water and medical supplies. The Hamas regime said “hundreds of trucks” would be allowed to enter Gaza.

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Biden said that he appreciated the assistance of the Prime Minister ofQatar, Jassim Al Thani, and the president of Egypt.

The ministry said the negotiations were continuing with the help of both Egypt and the U.S. “to ensure the rapid start of the truce and to provide what is necessary to ensure the parties’ commitment to the agreement.”

Hamas, in its own statement, welcomed the agreement that it said was reached after “difficult and complex negotiations for many days.” The militant group that has been in control of Gaza promised that it would continue to control its armies, and fight against occupation and aggression.

Across Israel, the families of some of the roughly 240 people held hostage began to count down the hours, hoping their loved ones might be among those released over the four-day pause.

The deal would allow some Gazans to grieve their loss, according to a construction worker in the area.

On Thursday, even as the cease-fire was coming to an end, the Israeli military continued to fight in Gaza.

The Israeli military said on Thursday that the takeover of the north of the Gaza Strip was only the first stage of a long campaign.

Israel said it would not fly warplanes over southern Gaza for the duration of the cease-fire, and that it wouldn’t fly over northern Gaza for six hours a day.

On the delay of a cease-fire agreement between the Hamas-Israeli government and Israel’s National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi

An Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity on Wednesday said hostages turned over by Hamas would be taken to hospitals, and the seriously injured transported by helicopter. The younger hostages will be with their families at the border, while older hostages will meet their families at hospitals and be monitored by security services.

“Israel should immediately allow for the permanent resumption of sufficient fuel, water and electricity supplies, without which humanitarian needs will continue to deepen,” the Red Cross said.

In a statement issued later, the ICRC said it “welcomes any respite from the fighting and bombardment in Gaza,” adding that “Everything possible must be done to scale humanitarian aid during this pause.”

But the ICRC’s spokesperson in Jerusalem, Sarah Davies, told NPR that the group was “not made aware of any agreement reached by both parties” related to such visits. “Should visits be agreed upon, the ICRC stands ready” to conduct them, Davies said, adding that the aid group “does not take part in the negotiations between the parties to the conflict.”

The reason for the delay was not immediately clear, but Israel’s Channel 12 quoted an unnamed Israeli political official as saying “The delay isn’t substantive, but technical.”

Around midnight Wednesday and just hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in a televised, late-evening media briefing where he discussed the agreement, Israel’s National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said the temporary cease-fire was still on track “according to the original agreement,” but that it wouldn’t occur before Friday.