Israeli students with Images of Israeli hostages held in Gaza (Israel Ministry of Education)
The ceasefire with Hamas that would see the release of 50 Israeli hostages held in Gaza – mostly children and also women including mothers of child hostages – has been delayed. Expected to be finalized on Thursday, the sealing of the deal has been delayed and will not go into effect until Friday at the earliest.
No reason was given for the delay.
Israel’s National Security Council Director Tzachi Hanegbi released a brief statement saying only that the “contacts on the release of our hostages are advancing and continuing constantly.”
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Hanegbi went on to say, “The start of the release will take place according to the original agreement between the sides, and not before Friday.”
While the details of the ceasefire detail have not been revealed, unconfirmed reports say Israel will release 150 terrorists it holds, all women, in exchange for the hostages.
Hamas is expected to release 12 hostages each day of a four day ceasefire. It could be extended with more hostages released for each extra day.
It is not surprising that there is such a delay in the signing of a ceasefire agreement since Israel has no reason to trust Hamas.
Israel is concerned the terrorist organization will use the time to rearm and regroup.
A great deal of humanitarian aid is expected to enter Gaza during a ceasefire. But Israel expects that any fuel brought in for use of hospitals and so forth will be taken by Hamas to power the generators used to run their terror tunnels and to fuel the rockets that it launches indiscriminately at civilian targets in Israel.
Hamas would also take medical supplies to use for its terrorists wounded in the fighting.
Hamas also has munitions and other supplies hidden around Gaza. It will surely use any ceasefire to take the opportunity to collect such supplies and bring them back to their terror tunnels. This is why Hamas is insisting on any deal include a prohibition on Israel’s using surveillance drones during a ceasefire.
In a press conference held Wednesday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Israeli public that it was the combination of Israel’s military and diplomatic efforts that created the conditions for returning hostages.
“I believe that this combination will also facilitate the release of additional hostages in the next stages,” he said. “The outline that has been achieved does not include the release of murderers.”
Unfortunately, added Netanyahu, the ceasefire deal does include visits by Red Cross representatives to the hostages and the delivery of medicines to them.
