Israel’s Hostage Deal Back On Track As Aid Dispute Is Resolved

By Worthy News’ George Whitten and Stefan J. Bos

JERUSALEM/GAZA (Worthy News) – A Gaza hostage release deal was back on track Saturday night after a row with Hamas over aid supplies to the north of the Palestinian enclave was resolved following mediation by Qatar and Egypt, several sources confirmed.

Hamas agreed to release 13 Israelis and seven foreigners late Saturday in exchange for 39 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, Qatari and Egyptian mediators said.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry confirmed that seven foreign nationals would also be released.

Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by Israel, delayed the second round of swaps for several hours after claiming that Israel had violated the terms of a truce deal.

Its military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, said the plan would be delayed until Israel adhered “to the terms of the agreement” related to more aid deliveries and the selection criteria for Israel’s prisoner releases.

On Saturday, some 39 Palestinian prisoners were dropped in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, Worthy News learned. They’re the first of 150 — mainly mothers and teenage boys — due to be freed by Tuesday.

US HOPE

Earlier, U.S. President Joe Biden said the truce could be extended as part of efforts to obtain the release of American hostages.

Egypt also said Saturday it had received “positive signals” from all parties over a possible extension of the Gaza truce for one or two days.

There are among about 240 hostages taken by Hamas fighters on October 7 in Israel, where they also killed 1,200 people,

Since then, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry claims more than 14,000 people have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory strikes in Gaza.

Critics say those figures are difficult to verify independently in the Palestinian territory, where there is virtually no press freedom.

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