Brian Bennett and Rebecca Schneid
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a cease-fire deal that will pause fighting in Gaza for six weeks and lead to the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday afternoon, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Friday morning.
Hamas and its allied militant groups are expected to release 33 hostages seized from Israel during the attacks of October 7, 2023, Biden announced Wednesday, flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Those hostages are expected to include all women, children, and older people who were captured over a year ago and are still alive.
This first phase of the deal will also include a complete cease-fire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated parts of Gaza, Biden said, as well as the scheduled release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Biden went on to state that the second phase of the deal would include the remaining hostages held in Gaza, including male soldiers and departure from Gaza of the rest of the Israeli forces.
No comments:
Post a Comment