Release of hostages from Gaza postponed by one day
Gaza hostage release postponed (Photo: GettyImages)
The release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been rescheduled for Friday, November 24, according to The Times of Israel.
"The hostage release won’t begin before Friday at the earliest," Netanyahu's aide said.
He stated that the delay was because of the necessity to ratify the agreement between Israel and Hamas by signing a document. The document must be signed within 24 hours, and after that, the initial hostages will be released.
Hostage return agreement
Israel has created a five-step agreement for the return of hostages.
In the first stage, Hamas will transfer the hostages to the Red Cross, who will then deliver them to the IDF. Next, the hostages will receive medical assessments and will be taken to a medical facility in Israel to reunite with their families.
In the fourth stage, medical and security experts will evaluate the hostages' physical and mental health to decide which individuals can be questioned. Eligible individuals will undergo interrogation by security and defense agencies during the final stage.
Yesterday, the Israeli Cabinet approved a plan to release around 50 hostages. As per the plan, militants will release 30 abducted children, eight mothers, and 12 other women during a five-day ceasefire.
Based on Israeli media reports, the first release of hostages is slated for November 23.
