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.

The Israel Democracy Institute released the results of its November 2023 Israeli Voice Index on Friday.

The results show that both Israeli Jews and Arabs see the return of hostages as the top priority of the war, but there is some disagreement on the other goals, with toppling Hamas less of a priority than restoring deterrence for Israeli Arabs.

A majority of Israelis think the government doesn't have a plan for what to do after the war, with the left being more critical and the right being less critical, although a majority from all political camps think the government does not have a plan.

Leftists are more likely to support coordination with the United States whereas rightists are more likely to support Israel acting independently. Support for coordination with the US is at 65% for the left, 54% for the center, and only 30% for the right. Two-thirds of Arabs support coordination with the US.

Jews and Arabs are decisively split on the question of issuing firearms to citizens, a majority of Jews (51%) support continuing the current policy of issuing firearms while only 5% of Arabs do. A similar proportion of Jews and Arabs believe the government should apply more stringent criteria for issuing firearms at 33% and 45% respectively. While only 7% of Jews believe the government should cease issuing firearms, 34% of Arabs do.

Agree that the Nation-State Law should be amended so that it includes the principle of full equality for non-Jewish citizens of the state (total sample, and Jewish sample by political orientation; %) (credit: ISRAEL DEMOCRACY INSTITUTE)

Support for amending the Nation-State Law

A majority of the population (56%) now supports amending the Nation-State Law to include the principle of full equality for non-Jewish citizens of the state, up from 40% in 2022, the IDI put this down to the high number of Druze and Bedouin killed since the start of the war.

Support for amending the Nation-State Law is split strongly along political lines, with 86% of leftists supporting an amendment, followed by 75% of centrists and only 35% of rightists. However, all groups saw a sharp increase in their support for an amendment since the survey in 2022, the biggest increase was for centrists, who polled at 50% in 2022, rightists also saw an increase polling 18% in 2022, leftists saw the smallest increase polling at 73% in 2022.

The split in amending the Nation-State Law also appears when religiousness is controlled, only 13% of Haredim support amending the Nation-State Law, with that number increasing as religiousness decreased, while seculars were most supportive at 68%.

Leftists and centrists overwhelmingly support halting judicial reform at 86% and 84% respectively, while rightists are evenly split on the topic being only slightly in favor of restating the reform (40.5% in favor vs 40% against).

BANGKOK, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Twenty Thai nationals were still being held by Hamas after the Palestinian terrorist group freed 10, Thailand's foreign ministry said on Saturday.

The Thai hostages freed from Gaza in Friday's exchange of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinians from Israeli jails would return home after 48 hours in hospital, the ministry said in a statement.

The released Thai hostages included one woman, according to photos released by the ministry, which showed them dressed in green jackets and with doctors at a medical center in Israel.

Earlier reports said around 12 Thais had been released. A source briefed on the negotiations said their release was unrelated to a truce deal with Israel, the first in the seven-week-old war, and followed a separate track of talks with Hamas mediated by Egypt and Qatar.

The ministry thanked the governments of Qatar, Israel, Egypt, Iran, and Malaysia, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, "as well as others involved in the immense efforts that led to this recent release."

Israel received on Friday the next list of hostages who are scheduled to be released on Saturday.

Their families will be updated first before the names are made public.

This is a developing story.

One month after her release from Hamas captivity, Yocheved Lipshitz began meeting with the families of the captives and guided those caring for the recently released individuals, while her husband remained in Gaza. 

"She is deeply concerned about their well-being," her daughter Sharon shared with Walla! "They have endured a terrible trauma, and we must approach them with gentleness."

Lipshitz, a resident of Nir Oz, was released from Hamas captivity a month ago, alongside Nurit Cooper. As Israelis anticipate the return of the hostages, her daughter Sharon reflected on the family's moments following their release. 

Outpouring of love from Israelis

"We received an outpouring of love from the entire Israeli community, and the expressions of love were profoundly moving. However, now we must give them space. These individuals spent 50 days in darkness, in places they dared not speak of. 

"We received an outpouring of love from the entire Israeli community, and the expressions of love were profoundly moving. However, now we must give them space. These individuals spent 50 days in darkness, in places they dared not speak of."

Sharon Lipshitz

Nine-year-old Ohad Munder, a young devoted fan of Hapoel Beersheba, celebrated his birthday in Gaza.

The club had fervently prayed for his safe return and even placed a chair from their stadium at his home. On Friday night, he returned home along with his mother and grandmother.

"Ohad, how wonderful it is to have you back."

Despite enduring a challenging month and a half of intense warfare in Israel, with numerous losses and hundreds of Israelis held captive in Gaza due to the ruthless terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, Friday brought smiles to Israeli's faces: 13 captives were released.

Among them were members of the Munder family: Ohad's grandmother Ruthie, his mother Keren, and Ohad himself, the devoted Hapoel Beersheba fan.

The United States will be informed about the details of the second wave of releases of hostages from the Gza Strip in the next hour, US President Joe Biden said on Friday evening.

In an address following the release of 13 Israeli and 11 foreign hostages from the Gaza Strip, Biden said that the US, along with Qatar, Egypt and Israel, will do everything in its power to ensure the full aspect of the deal will be implemented over the coming days.

Join me as I deliver remarks on the release of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza. https://t.co/i1Hpl2jmG4

— President Biden (@POTUS) November 24, 2023

The IDF confirmed it has custody of the 13 hostages released from Hamas on Friday and is accompanying them until their return to their homes.

Another Israeli source stated that the list of the released hostages for the first day corresponds to those who were released via Egypt's Rafah crossing.

The transfer was made in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, Walla reported citing an Israeli official. This was after the IDF had completed its preparations for the reception of 13 hostages who were set to return to Israel on Friday, according to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. The hostages that crossed into Rafah met with Israeli officials, Walla reported.

First photo of Israeli hostages being released pic.twitter.com/AdBHtwalN3

— Emily Schrader - אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) November 24, 2023

"We have now completed the return of the first of our hostages," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "Children, their mothers, and other women. But I emphasize to you - the families, and to you - the citizens of Israel: we are committed to the return of all our hostages. This is one of the goals of the war and we are committed to achieving all the goals of the war."

One hundred and thirty-seven trucks of goods were offloaded by the UNRWA reception point in the Gaza Strip on Friday, the biggest humanitarian convoy received since Oct. 7, the UN humanitarian office (OCHA) said in a statement.

The OCHA added that 129,000 liters of fuel and four trucks carrying gas also crossed into Gaza.