ISRAELIS URGE GOV’T TO BRING BACK ALL HOSTAGES After 4-Day Ceasefire Deal Reached With Hamas
Israeli people have voiced support for the four-day ceasefire agreement reached between their government and Hamas on Wednesday, as they continue to urge for the release of all hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip.
After 46 days of bloody conflict in Gaza, Israel and Hamas on Wednesday confirmed their agreement on a Qatar-mediated proposal for a ceasefire in the besieged coastal enclave. In exchange for Hamas to release hostages, the Israeli side agreed to release Palestinian prisoners and allow more humanitarian aid to enter the besieged enclave, said the Israeli government in a statement.
Under the deal, at least 50 hostages, mainly children and women, would be freed for the release of about 150 female and teen Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons, said the statement.
The hostages will be released in smaller groups over a span of four days, during which “there will be a full ceasefire in the fighting,” it said.
A reporter spoke to some residents in Tel Aviv. They shared worries for the innocent people taken by Hamas and expected to see all hostages be freed as soon as possible.
The Israel hostage crisis began on October 7, when Hamas militants launched a deadly attack on Israel, taking some 240 hostages including soldiers and civilians (children, women and the elderly of various nationalities) to Gaza.
The raid resulted in approximately 1,200 casualties, mostly civilians in Israel. In the ensuing massive offensive against Gaza launched by Israeli troops, more than 14,500 Palestinians have been killed as of Wednesday, primarily civilians, according to the Gaza-based Health Ministry.