The president of USA, Joe Biden, assured this Tuesday that an agreement to release some of the hostages that Hamas took over after the October 7 attacks will be closed “coming soon”.
“We have been working on this intensely for weeks (…) we are very close to being able to bring some of these hostages home”the president said during statements at the White House.
The US president refused to give more details until the agreement has been finalized. “filled” and added that his team has been working on it “intensely” for weeks.
The agreement that Israel and Hamas are negotiating with the mediation of Qatar would also include a five-day pause in the bombing of Gaza.
If announced, it would mean the first sustained pause in the Israeli offensive in the enclave since the start of the war. In addition, it would facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid through the Rafah crossing, on the border between Egypt and the Palestinian enclave.
In a telephone press conference, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby reiterated that “closer” than ever to reach the agreement.
“I will not be able to confirm the details that have appeared in press reports. “I am simply not going to negotiate in public (…) We will not say nor do we want to say anything in these delicate hours that could put an agreement at greater risk.”Kirby said.
In these hours, he added, we must be “especially cautious” given that “a lot of families” They are aware of what is happening.
Kirby detailed that in the last 24 hours some 50 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza, bringing the total number to 13,170.
Also in the last 24 hours, almost 20,000 gallons of fuel entered Gaza for use by non-governmental organizations and will go primarily to hospitals.
“We hope that these deliveries will now continue regularly and in greater quantities and we will continue to work with our Israeli counterparts to this end.”Kirby explained.
The agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group would include a temporary five-day ceasefire, during which 50 hostages held by Hamas would be released in exchange for 300 Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a meeting of both the war cabinet and the entire government on Tuesday to address the issue.
“I hope there is good news soon,” Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office.
Source: Gestion
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