Four-day ceasefire, Netanyahu: One of the goals of the war, the return of all hostages

2023-11-24 21:26:33Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Four-day ceasefire, Netanyahu: One of the goals of the war, the return of all
Benjamin Netanyahu with Minister of War Benny Gantz

Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, during a speech broadcast on Israeli media, said that "one of the goals of the war is the release of all the Israeli hostages" that were taken by Hamas on October 7.

"We have now completed the return of our first hostages. Children, their mothers and other women. But I make it clear to you - the families and to you - the citizens of Israel, we are committed to the return of all hostages. This is one of the goals of the war and we are committed to achieving all the goals of the war," Mr. Netanyahu said.

Israeli forces are using a four-day ceasefire with the Palestinian militant group Hamas to prepare the next phase of their operation in the Gaza Strip, Israel's top military spokesman said on Friday.

"During the days of the ceasefire, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) will complete its preparation and readiness for the next phases of the war," Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari told a daily press conference.

Hamas carried out a terrorist attack on October 7, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking at least 240 hostages.

Israel responded first with airstrikes and then with a ground operation aimed at destroying Hamas' military capabilities. Israeli operations, according to unconfirmed Hamas figures, took the lives of 13,000 Palestinians.

Israel and Hamas have stopped fighting since Friday morning, starting a temporary truce with the aim of exchanging some Israeli hostages for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. The truce is also meant to allow more aid to flow in for Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip.

Qatar, which brokered the temporary ceasefire agreement, said 13 Israelis had been released, some with dual citizenship. Thirty-nine Palestinian women and children were released from Israeli prisons in exchange for 13 Israelis, Qatar said.

The German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, announced that among the hostages released today are also four German citizens.

"I am extremely relieved that 24 hostages have just been released from Gaza. Among them are four Germans, including a father who after 49 days of hell, with incredible fear, can finally hug his two young daughters and his wife again," said Mrs. Baerbock while attending a party conference of her Green party.

Qatar also announced that 10 Thais and a Filipino were released as part of another Egyptian-assisted deal with Hamas.

One hundred and thirty-seven truckloads of goods have entered southern Gaza, across the border with Egypt, the largest humanitarian convoy since October 7, the UN humanitarian office (OCHA) said in a statement.

OCHA added that 129,000 liters of fuel and four trucks carrying gas also crossed into Gaza.


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