Israel confirms hostage deal back on after Hamas delay

The second phase of the Gaza hostage deal appeared to move forward last Saturday night after a delay of at least five hours after Hamas announced that the deal was on hold.

Close to 9 p.m., Hamas stated that “the Islamic Resistance Movement Hams responded to the estimated Egyptian Qatari efforts that moved throughout the day to ensure the continuation of the temporary armistice agreement after transferring then in the commitment of the occupation to all the conditions stipulated in the agreement.”

It had earlier argued that not enough humanitarian aid had entered Gaza through the Egyptian crossing at Rafah and that Israel had not freed agreed-upon Palestinian prisoners based on seniority.

Qatari, Egyptian and Israeli officials had worked to save the deal.

On Friday, 13 Israelis kidnapped by Hamas were finally returned to their loved ones in Israel.

Hannah Katzir hugs members of the IDF after finally reaching Israeli soil, 24 November 2023. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

Hannah Katzir excitedly moves forward to reunite with family after being kidnapped by Hamas and falsely reported as dead by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

Aviv Asher, 2.5 years old, her sister Raz Asher, 4.5 years old, and mother Doron arrive back in Israel after being held hostage by Hamas terrorists, 24 November 2023. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

The 13 women and children are part of the 50 hostages, out of a total of some 240 Israelis and foreign nationals kidnapped, expected to be released under the Qatari-led ceasefire agreement.

Aviv Asher, 2.5 years old, her sister Raz Asher, 4.5 years old, and mother Doron reunited. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

Aviv Asher, 2,5-year-old, her sister Raz Asher, 4,5-year-old, and mother Doron, react as they meet with Yoni, Raz and Aviv's father and Doron's husband after they returned to Israel to the designated complex at the Schneider Children's Medical Center, during a temporary truce between Hamas and Israe (credit: Schneider Children's Medical Center Spokesperson/Handout via REUTERS)

Adina Moshe takes the arm of an IDF representative as she returns to Israel. (credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)

Adina Moshe smiling as she walks hand in hand with a soldier back in Israel. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Emilia and Danielle Aloni smile as they are reunited with their family. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

The first meeting off Emelia Aloni with her grandmother and other family members at the Schneider Children's Medical Center. (credit: Schneider Children's Medical Center Spokesperson)

Ohad Munder, who spent his 9th birthday as a hostage, sits in a helicopter on his journey back to Israel. (credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)

Ohad Munder receives some late gifts, having spent his 9th birthday as a hostage. (credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)

Nine-year-old Ohad Munder, his mother Keren and his grandmother Ruthie, returned to Israel. This is their first reunion back with Ohad's father, brother, and family members. (credit: Schneider Children's Medical Center Spokesperson)

While the battle to bring them home is far from over, the emotional scenes of reunification are cause to celebrate. 

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Saturday visited the foreign citizens of Thailand and the Philippines who were released in the first round of the hostage deal with Hamas.

Cohen said that "Israeli and foreign citizens had a common fate in the face of a cruel enemy on that black Shabbat.

"We are working with all parties to bring about the freeing of all citizens from the hands of the terrorist organization Hamas, which still holds women, children, and the elderly, as well as other foreign citizens. I promised all the foreign citizens who were released that they will receive the best medical and mental care and we will see to it that they receive full rights from the National Insurance."

Cohen is expected to meet with the Thai foreign minister later this week.

According to Israeli sources, officials in Jerusalem are pushing to up the number of hostages released on Saturday by one, after it became apparent that one hostage was set to be freed without her mother, who was also taken into Gaza by Palestinian terror group Hamas on October 7.

As per the details of the Qatari and Egyptian-mediated truce and hostage release deal, families cannot be separated in the releases.

Last-minute discussions, headed by the coordinator for hostages and missing persons Gal Hirsch, were taking place early on Saturday to facilitate the release of the unnamed mother, Israeli media reported.

A Qatari aircraft landed at Ben-Gurion Airport on Saturday, in an unprecedented move amid the Gaza ceasefire and ongoing hostage deal. It was unclear if the Qatari presence in Israel was related to Israel's demands to release the mother.

This is a developing story.

Hamas will release another 13 Israeli hostages on Saturday as part of the ongoing temporary ceasefire deal.

Egypt has received the list from Hamas of the 13 hostages to be released, security sources said.

Israeli authorities say in exchange 42 Palestinian prisoners will be released the same day under the deal. 

A Qatari delegation arrived in Israel from Larnaca, Cyprus on Saturday, Israeli media reported, amid reported talks with Israeli security establishment officials to discuss a possible extension of the four-day ceasefire with terror group Hamas.

The Qatari delegation also coordinated with Israeli officials to ensure the truce, as well as the hostage releases, continues smoothly, a Qatari official told Reuters.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Saturday that one of its patrols was hit by Israeli gunfire in the vicinity of Aytaroun of southern Lebanon, although there were no casualties.

UNIFIL condemned the attack on its peacekeepers, calling it "deeply troubling".

"We strongly remind the parties of their obligations to protect peacekeepers and avoid putting the men and women who are working to restore stability at risk," it said in a statement.

The Red Cross's social media apparatus disproportionately focused on the suffering of civilians in Gaza while ignoring the suffering of Israelis since Hamas’ October 7 attack, the Jerusalem Insitute of Justice (JIJ) found.

JIJ conducted a thorough analysis of the International Committee of the Red Cross’s social media following Hamas's October 7 massacre, in which they murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped over 200 more.

The analysis comes at a time when the Red Cross has been scrutinized heavily for failing to visit Israeli hostages and not reporting that the hostages had been taken to Shifa Hospital. 

During the analysis, JIJ reported that they were concerned to find that there were no posts, images, graphics, or videos highlighting the damages suffered by Israel as a result of Hamas or other Palestinian terrorist groups. There were no posts addressing the October 7 tragedy, rockets launched by Hamas indiscriminately at civilian populations, or the hostages kidnapped.

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

Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt's State Information Service (SIS), said in a statement that the country was holding extensive talks with all parties to reach an agreement over extending the four-day truce, which "means the release of more detainees in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails."

Israel awaited the release of 13 more hostages on Saturday, which would bring the total of hostages released since the implementation of the deal to 26.

13 Gaza hostages released on Friday, Israel want more

Among the hostages freed on Friday after almost 50 days in captivity in Gaza was nine-year-old Ohad Munder, who ran down a hospital corridor in Israel into his father's open arms, footage released by the hospital showed.

He and three other children released at the same time were in relatively good condition, Gilat Livni, the center's Director of Paediatrics told reporters.

This is a developing story.

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

Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt's State Information Service (SIS), said in a statement that the country was holding extensive talks with all parties to reach an agreement over extending the four-day truce, which "means the release of more detainees in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails."