Israel proposes one-week pause in fighting in exchange for 40 hostages

“이스라엘, 하마스에 일주일 휴전 제안 인질 40명 석방 대가“ Amid mounting pressure, Israel could offer another ceasefire in its war with Hamas in Gaza in exchange for the release of more hostages held by the Palestinian militant group. Jeong Eun-joo has the latest. Israel has issued a proposal to Hamas that includes a week-long pause in fighting in exchange for the release of 40 hostages. First reported by Axios, the proposal looks to release hostages that include women, the elderly, and those in need of urgent care. CNN reported that the deal is being presented to Hamas through Qatari mediators. Speaking to a gathering of ambassadors on Tuesday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Israel is “ready for another humanitarian pause and additional humanitarian aid in order to enable the release of hostages.“ The previous seven-day temporary ceasefire last month, led to the release of 86 women and children held by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinian women and teenagers held in Israeli jails. Hamas also released 24 foreign nationals during that period. Meanwhile, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is expected to visit Egypt on Wednesday to hold ceasefire talks, raising hopes of another temporary pause to fighting in Gaza. A senior Hamas official also said on Monday that it rejected holding negotiations over exchanging prisoners while the war was ongoing, but was open to any initiative to end the war. The Israeli military’s continuing airstrikes and ground offensives in Gaza, have resulted in thousands of civilian deaths. And that has led to growing international condemnation, including from traditional allies. The United States has also called on Israel to scale back its attacks, to target only Hamas. As diplomatic efforts continue, the humanitarian crisis in the besieged strip worsens with each day. Nearly 20,000 people have been killed by Israeli military action in Gaza since October 7th, and more than 52,000 wounded, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health. Much of northern Gaza has been decimated by airstrikes and, according to the United Nations, almost 1.9 million people — more than 80% of the enclave’s population — have been displaced. Jeong Eun-joo, Arirang News. #hostage_release #Gaza #Hamas #Palestinian_militant #Middle_East #Israel_Defense_Forces #truce #이스라엘_하마스 #휴전 #인질석방 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Twitter : 📣 Homepage : 2023-12-20, 18:00 (KST)