Originally announced “release at 10 a.m. on the 23rd”
Lee received a list of 50 people scheduled for release.
While it is known that the release of hostages according to the temporary ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas will begin at 10 a.m. on the 23rd (5 p.m. Korean time), Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) announced that release will not begin until the 24th.
According to the Times of Israel (TOI) on the 22nd (local time), Israeli NSC Chairman Tzachi Hanebi said in a statement that “the first hostages will not be released before Friday.”
“The release of the hostages is ongoing,” Haneby said. “The release will begin in accordance with the original agreement between the parties and will not begin before Friday.”
Earlier, Musa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official, said this morning, “The negotiations will go into effect at 10 a.m. on the 23rd,” and a senior Israeli official also confirmed this in a briefing on the condition of anonymity a few hours later.
The reason for the delay in release was not revealed.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, Israel has received a list of hostages scheduled for release from Hamas, and is not disclosing the list to avoid torture of their families if negotiations fail.
The list was passed on to Mossad Director David Barnea and IDF General Nizan Alon, who are currently visiting Qatar, to finalize the final details of the agreement.
The Israeli cabinet approved an agreement at a ministerial meeting the day before, calling for a four-day temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of at least 50 hostages. Israel also decided to release 150 Palestinian prisoners, most of whom were reportedly under the age of 18.
Afterwards, a public opposition petition process was held for 24 hours, and the Israel Victims of Terrorism League raised objections, saying, “The government’s decision increases the risk of a recurrence of serious terrorist acts that expose all citizens and residents to danger.”
However, the Israeli Supreme Court dismissed the petition, saying it was “a clear political issue in which the court does not need to be involved.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.