Israel: Hostage Exchange Begins Friday

Tel Aviv, MINA – Israel’s National Security Council said the hostage exchange with the Palestinian Hamas militant group in Gaza would not begin before Friday.

“The release will begin in accordance with the initial agreement between the parties and will not take place before this Friday,” Tzachi Hanegbi, president of the council, said Thursday morning in a statement.

Quoted from Anadolu Agency, Hanegbi said negotiations for the release of the hostages “continue to progress.”

Israeli media interpreted the announcement as a delay.

A report by Israel’s Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) said no information was provided to the families of Israeli prisoners before the announcement of a delay in implementing the agreement.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen previously stated on an Israel Army Radio program that the first group of Israeli prisoners under the agreement would be released on November 23.

KAN has also announced that the first group of Israeli prisoners from the Gaza Strip will be released starting at 10 am (0800GMT) on Thursday.

Additionally, Mousa Abu Marzouk, Head of the Hamas International Relations Office, has announced that the humanitarian pause agreement with Israel will begin at 10 am on November 23.

The Israeli government and Hamas on Wednesday morning agreed to a hostage exchange.

Under the agreement, 50 Israelis detained by Hamas will be released in exchange for 150 Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

The deal also includes a four-day hiatus in fighting and the entry of 300 trucks containing humanitarian aid including fuel into the Gaza Strip.

Israel launched non-stop air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip following the Hamas attack on October 7 until now. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)