GAZA: Israel’s government approved an agreement early Wednesday to release fifty hostages taken by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for the release of Palestinian detainees and a truce. AFP citing an official statement of Israeli prime minister’s office as saying that the deal has been approved for exchange of hostages.
The statement said the government of Israel approved the outlines of the first stage of the deal under which 50 hostages will be freed over four days during which there will be a pause in the war.
According to Arab media reports an official communication is now likely to be sent to Qatar informing of the Israeli cabinet’s vote in support of the peace agreement. That will then be followed by an official announcement of the agreement in Qatar.
Israel Approves Agreement for Captives Release
The development comes as Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday stated a temporary truce agreement with Israel was in sight, raising hopes that dozens of people taken hostage could be released. Similarly, Chinese President Xi Jinping while addressing a virtual summit of BRICS stressed for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
While, Russian President Vladimir Putin also urged a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested that regional states and BRICS member countries could play a vital role in reaching a settlement.
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Similarly, earlier the Scottish parliament had also overwhelmingly voted in favor of a motion that demanded an immediate truce in the Gaza Strip. Members of the Parliament supported the government’s motion for a permanent truce in the Gaza Strip. As per media reports, a total of 90 legislators voted in support of the motion with 28 MPs opposed it.
On Monday, US President Joe Biden said he believed a deal was close, as the International Committee of the Red Cross said its president had travelled to Qatar to meet the Hamas leader.
Earlier, Gaza Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from relentless Israeli bombardment on the Gaza Strip has reached to more than 14,128. The ministry in a statement said the victims include over 5,840 children and 3,920 women.
The dire situation in Gaza is compounded by an Israeli blockade, severing the region from essential supplies such as fuel, electricity, and water. Aid deliveries to Gaza have reached to a minimum.
Earlier Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, said that talks to secure the release of hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7 attacks have reached their closest point to an agreement.
