Deal to release 33 hostages in first phase may be finalized soon

After the initial release of captives, further lists will be discussed on the 16th day of the agreement.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

An agreement to release 33 hostages in the initial phase has reportedly been approved by Israel and Hamas and may be announced Monday night or Tuesday morning.

Sources have reported that after the initial release of captives, further lists would be discussed on the 16th day of the agreement.

There are mixed accounts of the timing of the IDF withdrawal from Gaza, with some sources saying that troops would be gradually reduced with the military remaining in the Philadelphi corridor until the last day of the agreement

Some sources indicate the first phase of the agreement will last 42 days.

There is some indication that the agreement could be announced within hours or days or that it could fall apart.

A cabinet vote and a High Court of Justice ruling on petitions opposing the deal will also be required.

If the deal is approved, some sources say the first group of hostages will be released promptly after the announcement.

Although the list of hostages to be released in phase one originally  included 34 names, the number now is 33 after the discovery of the body of Yousef Ziadne by the IDF.

Some sources have indicated that not all of the 33 hostages on the list are alive.

Regarding the release of Palestinian prisoners, diplomatic sources said those who have murdered Israelis would not be released to Judea and Samaria. The sources did not comment on whether they would be sent to Turkey.

They also indicated that the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released would be lowered if some of the 33 hostages are no longer alive.

Several coalition lawmakers came out Monday against the proposed hostage deal and Gaza ceasefire currently under consideration in Doha, Qatar, highlighting the challenges Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could face in securing backing for an agreement with Hamas.

On Monday, two groups jointly penned a letter to Netanyahu expressing their opposition to the deal currently on the table and urged him to reject any proposal that requires Israel to surrender control over strategic areas in the Gaza Strip, including the Philadephi Corridor separating Gaza from Egypt.

“The alarming reports about a potential agreement with Hamas during these critical times raise severe concerns for Israel’s security,” the letter reads.

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