Israel and Hamas reached an agreement providing for the release of dozens of hostages in exchange for around a hundred Palestinian prisoners. The agreement also involves a four-day truce which is due to begin within the next 24 hours.
The first releases of hostages could take place in the next 24 hours. Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on the night of Tuesday November 21 to Wednesday November 22, after 46 days of war. The Jewish state obtained the promise of the release of at least 50 hostages – out of the 240 held by the Islamist group according to the Israeli army -, only women and children, in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, according to the figure announced in the Hamas press release.
The agreement also provides for a truce in the clashes which must last four days, and could be renewed, to allow the release of the hostages in complete safety. This truce is expected to be imminent, as the agreement must be put in place within 24 hours. If Hamas speaks of a “ceasefire on the part of both parties” and the “cessation of all military actions” by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, Israel prefers to speak of “lull” and ” pause in the fighting”. A sign that this truce will only be temporary before the resumption of fighting already planned by both camps. Even if it only lasts a few days, the cessation of fighting must be an opportunity to bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Hamas says it is expecting “hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid, medical aid and fuel” and hopes that aid can be delivered “to all areas of the Gaza Strip, without exception.” During this truce, the Red Cross could be authorized to visit the unreleased hostages to provide them with care if necessary and ensure their state of health.
If the terms of the agreement are respected, Israel plans to continue the exchange of hostages and indicates that “the release of ten additional hostages will lead to an additional day of pause.” The Jewish state has also released a list of 300 Palestinian prisoners, twice as many as the agreement provides, an incentive to prolong the hostage exchange. Of these prisoners, 274 are men, the overwhelming majority of whom are minors.
French people among the freed hostages?
Neither Hamas nor Israel have specified the list of hostages who will be released; only the American authorities have announced the presence of three American nationals among those released. France, for its part, refuses to put forward a figure “out of caution”, but the Minister of Foreign Affairs says she “hopes” that there will be French people among the freed hostages. Catherine Colonna assures that the government is working “hard” to obtain the release of certain French people, three nationals could be released according to a source close to the matter cited by BFMTV. “Eight compatriots” are still missing, “some of whom, with certainty, were taken hostage,” she added.
The minister also welcomed the conclusion of an agreement between Israel and Hamas, like a whole part of the international community. US President Joe Biden said he was “extraordinarily satisfied” with the agreement. Several EU members followed in their wake, the EU which itself welcomes the agreement on the humanitarian truce, but wishes to “take advantage of this pause in order to organize a surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza” and “step up” the sending of aid. The agreement, however, is far from unanimously supported by the Israeli government or the civilian population, with some seeing this agreement concluded under Hamas’ conditions as a new victory for the Islamist group. The Association of Victims of Terrorism of Almagor announces that it is filing an appeal with the Supreme Court of Israel for all details of the agreement to be shared, in particular those on “the cessation of the collection of intelligence, as well as the delivery of fuel and other supplies that could help Hamas carry out terrorist operations” against Israel, reports the Times of Israel.
What is the situation in Gaza? The end of the fighting?
A pause in the fighting must be announced “in the next 24 hours,” the Qatari government announced on the morning of November 22. But bombings and ground clashes still raged during the day and evening of Tuesday, November 21. On the morning of November 22, the spokesperson for the Israeli army stated on social networks that “IDF forces continue to operate in the Gaza Strip to destroy terrorist infrastructure, eliminate terrorists and locate weapons” . Israel and Hamas also expect possible violent strikes just before the agreement is put in place, based on experience during previous armed conflicts. The two camps also remain on alert because they have both announced the resumption of war following the truce and hostage exchanges.
“The Israeli government, Israeli army and security forces will continue the war to return all abductees, eliminate Hamas and ensure that there is no further threat to the State of Israel from Gaza,” writes the Israeli government in its press release. While Hamas confirms that its hands “will remain on the trigger and that our triumphant battalions will remain on the lookout” promising to lead the fight for “the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital”.
What is the outcome of the war between Israel and Hamas?
The results of the war taking place in Gaza are difficult to establish, as the figures provided by Hamas cannot be independently verified and therefore distinguished from propaganda. According to the latest report from the Hamas Ministry of Health released Monday, November 20, 13,300 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip, including more than 5,600 children, since the start of the conflict on October 7. The Palestinian movement also reported more than 31,000 injured. Asked about this toll, the Pentagon spokesperson admitted that, regarding civilian casualties in Gaza, “it must be counted in the thousands.”
On the Israeli side, the death toll from the Hamas attack was revised downwards on Friday, November 10, from 1,400 to 1,200 dead. According to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after identification of the bodies, it appeared that many of them belonged to Hamas men. Before that, the Israeli army had also specified that 46 soldiers had died since the attack on October 7, according to its latest report.
How many French victims in the war?
40 French people were killed in Israel during Hamas attacks on October 7, according to the latest report communicated by Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne on Monday November 6. It also has eight nationals missing. “It is now confirmed that some of them are hostages of Hamas,” the government said on November 6. Paris ensures that it is doing everything possible to save the hostages and repatriate nationals who wish to do so. The Quai d’Orsay announced on November 14 that a total of 112 French people have been evacuated from the Gaza Strip to date. “This assessment marks the end of a first phase of our evacuation operations, which enabled almost all of our compatriots wishing to leave Gaza to do so,” the ministry spokesperson said in a statement.