Israel approves partial prisoner swap, temporary ceasefire with Hamas
The Israeli Cabinet has approved a partial Qatari-brokered prisoner swap and temporary ceasefire in the early hours of Wednesday morning, paving the way for the first Israeli hostages to return home possibly as soon as Thursday.
Israelis demonstrate in support of a prisoner swap outside the Defence Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv on Nov. 21, 2023. Photo by Bashi Darshan/TPS
According to a statement issued by the government following the vote, “at least 50 hostages – women and children – will be released over four days, during which a pause in the fighting will be held. The release of every additional ten hostages will result in one additional day in the pause.”
The statement added, “The Government of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces and the security services will continue the war in order to return home all of the hostages, complete the elimination of Hamas and ensure that there will be no new threat to the State of Israel from Gaza.”
The government’s announcement did not specify the details of Israel’s commitment to release Palestinian prisoners. But according to Israeli media reports before the vote, Israel will reportedly release 150 Palestinian women and children from its prisons.
Bringing the hostages home is a “sacred priority and I am committed to it,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his remarks at the beginning of the Cabinet meeting.
“There are stages in a war and there are stages in the return of abductees. The outline that will be presented to you has been improved so that it includes more abductees at a lower cost. We have a difficult decision before us, but it is the right decision,” Netanyahu said.
“All the security forces fully support it. They made it clear in their full professional assessment that the security of our forces will be guaranteed during the days of the ceasefire and that the intelligence effort will be maintained these days,” he added.
Netanyahu also stressed that Israel’s military efforts to topple Hamas would continue as soon as the ceasefire ends.
“We are at war, and we will continue the war,” he said. “We will continue until we achieve all our goals.”
At least 1,200 people were killed in Hamas massacres in Israeli communities near the Gaza border on Oct. 7. Another 240 men, women, children, soldiers and foreigners were taken back to Gaza as hostages. Some people remain unaccounted for as Israeli authorities continue to identify bodies and search for human remains.
The government’s announcement did not specify the breakdown of votes by the 38 ministers of the Israeli Cabinet.
Other Aspects to the Deal
The International Red Cross will get access to all the remaining captives and provide medicine, Netanyahu’s office said.
During each day of the ceasefire, Israel will not operate drones over Gaza between the hours of 10 AM-4:00 PM while Hamas attempts to locate captives held by other terror groups. This point was said to be backed by the military, Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), Mossad.
The ceasefire was said to hold Hamas responsible for the well-being and return of all the hostages, regardless of whether they are held by Hamas or by any of Gaza’s other terror groups.
The Palestinians freed by Israel will reportedly be allowed to return to their prior residences, including eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.
The estimated 1.5 million Palestinians who fled northern Gaza to the southern areas of the Strip will not be allowed to return to their homes to facilitate future Israeli military operations after the ceasefire.
Israel will allow 300 aid trucks to make daily deliveries to the Strip through Egypt’s Rafah crossing during the ceasefire.
A full list of the Palestinian prisoners slated for release will be published and Israelis will have 24 hours to file legal petitions to the Israeli Supreme Court against the release of specific prisoners.
Six Israeli hospitals have already indicated they are prepared to receive hostages and treat them in designated areas away from the media and other patients, as instructed by the Health Ministry
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said: “The reservations are understandable, painful, and difficult, but given the circumstances I back and support the decision of the Prime Minister and the Government to move forward with the deal to release hostages.
This is a moral and ethical duty that correctly expresses the Jewish and Israeli value of securing the freedom of those held captive, with the hope that it will be the first step in returning all the hostages home.
The State of Israel, the IDF, and all the security forces will continue to act in every way possible to achieve this goal, alongside the restoration of the absolute security of the citizens of Israel.”
ZFA President Jeremy Leibler said that it is with tremendous relief that more than 50 of the hostages will be returning home to their loved ones, but we want to see the release of every hostage as soon as possible.
“Notwithstanding that all the hostages should be released without conditions and that taking hostages is a war crime for which Hamas must be held accountable, the fact that more than 50 women and children will be returned to their families is incredibly welcome,” Mr Leibler said.
“Given how many years Hamas has held previous Israeli captives, that these hostages will be released within two months shows that the Israeli military operation in Gaza is achieving its objectives.”
Mr Leibler cautioned against the notion that the deal involves a ‘prisoner swap’.
He added: “The hostages that the terrorist organisation Hamas took were innocent civilians and kidnapping them was a war crime. Palestinian prisoners have deliberately attacked Israeli citizens, they have blood on their hands, and they were arrested and imprisoned according to the law. That Israel is willing to release these prisoners shows the price Israel is willing to pay for the safe release of its people.”
TPS/J-Wire
