With the fourth and final phase of the release of the hostages from the Gaza Strip only 12 hours away, there are increasing reports of an extension of the ceasefire with Hamas in return for the continued release of the hostages, beyond the 53 in the agreement. According to a report, Hamas wants to extend the truce beyond the agreed four days.
US President Joe Biden, who answered questions from reporters at the White House this evening, reiterated several times that there is a common goal to bring about the further release of hostages while extending the ceasefire. According to the American president, "I would like to see the ceasefire continue as long as the release of the hostages continues."
Biden also said at the beginning of his remarks that U.S. efforts to secure the release of the hostages would continue "until all the hostages return to their homes. My team and I have been in close contact with Egypt, Qatar and Israel in recent weeks, and yesterday we spoke with the Emir of Qatar in order to keep the prisoner deal on track and include the release of Abigail Idan." Biden also pledged his intention to continue working with Netanyahu and Arab leaders to expand the deal, according to Israeli sources at the outset, so that the ceasefire could be extended by another ten days until the release of dozens more hostages held by Hamas.
At this stage, Hamas refuses to negotiate over men, soldiers and women. So the total number of those released if the deal is extended is 93, including the 53 abductees who are supposed to be released in total by tomorrow.
Biden: Glad about the release of Abigail Idan, what she went through is unimaginable // Photo: Reuters
This evening the War Cabinet convenes and tomorrow evening the expanded cabinet will convene at the moment without an agenda for publication, but the continued extension of the deal on the agenda is expected to occupy the ministers, among other things against the background of attempts by Hamas to violate the current agreement several times. Last week, political sources reiterated that Israel has an interest in extending the ceasefire in order to return as many abductees from Gaza as possible to their homes. Now, together with Biden and the willingness in Hamas, it is reasonable to assume that this is where we are headed.
According to one of the clauses in the agreement approved by the government last week, Netanyahu, Galant and Gantz are authorized alone to extend the ceasefire in exchange for the release of additional hostages no later than 10 days after the end of the first phase, that is, ten days starting tomorrow evening. The agreement also stipulates that if additional abductees are not released, "security prisoners who have not been released by the date of the decision to end the implementation of the plan will not be released from prison, and this government's decision regarding them will be void."
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