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.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received a phone call from U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday who expressed his appreciation for Qatar's role in helping facilitate a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel.

For his part, Al Thani stressed the need to reduce any further escalation, stop the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip and ways to increase the flow of aid into the enclave, a statement from the Emir's Diwan said.

Hamas has issued a resounding call to the international community to refer the "crimes" of Israel, or as they claimed, the "Nazi enemy," against the Gaza Strip, to the International Criminal Court. 

In a strongly-worded statement, Hamas highlighted the need for accountability and the importance of addressing what they perceive as the "fascist occupation's crimes" against Gaza. 

Hamas has welcomed international efforts to bring these allegations to the attention of the International Criminal Court, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive investigation into the actions of the occupying forces in Gaza.  

The IDF is currently operating in the Jenin refugee camp under the command of reserve forces under the command of the 646th Paratroopers Reserves Brigade, together with Border Police and engineering tools.

Some of the troops have already reached their targets and the engineering tools reveal axes. There was an exchange of fire with armed terrorists, explosives were thrown, several terrorists were wounded.

The IDF continues to operate.

The families of Israeli hostages, along with many others who came to support them, held a rally on Saturday night, in the plaza outside the Tel Aviv Museum titled "50 Days of Hell," since the October 4 massacre. The plaza has been dubbed the “Kidnapped Plaza,” and while the families acknowledged that the delay in the release of the captives is "difficult but expected," they remained resolute in maintaining hope. They adamantly declared, "We won't allow Hamas to infiltrate our minds with their psychological warfare."

Awaiting the withheld hostages

The rally took place while 13 kidnapped Israelis were released by Hamas on Friday night, and the anxious wait for their second release continued. Hundreds held signs with the pictures and names of the detainees, demanding their return. Nearby streets have been closed to traffic.

Despite Hamas' claims that Israel "violated" the ceasefire terms and threats not to release the captives, hope remained steadfast in the Kidnapped Plaza. "I have a positive feeling. I am delighted that they are coming back home, even if she is not my granddaughter," Kamelia Hoter Ishay, the grandmother of Gali Tarshansky, who was kidnapped, and Lior Tarshansky, who was murdered, both residents of Kibbutz Be’eri, shared.

"I know she will come, and my heart soars with each person who comes and ends this suffering. We are dealing with a murderous terrorist organization. The fact that there is a deal that brings our loved ones back home— we must express our gratitude, regardless of the cost. It's our moral obligation to bring them back. They were kidnapped from their homes, their beds, in their pajamas. I am not disheartened; there are younger children than Gali who need to return," she said.

Regarding the delay in the release of the detainees and Hamas' allegations, Hoter Ishay said, "I won't allow Hamas to confuse me and inject their psychological warfare into my mind. I don't watch the news, and I don't hear any information. Until it happens, we remain hopeful that Gali will return safe and sound. My daughter told me, 'Mom, the only thing you need to wait for is when I call you and say, 'Gali is with me.'"

Thousands attended a rally held for the return of the kidnapped at Shaul haMelekh Square in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening marking 50 days to October 7.

The families and many others are gathering in the square, while Hamas is delaying the return of the second of the abductees.

Consider the New York City subway system. Launched in 1904, it carried 1.8 billion passengers last year, over 248 route miles beneath the sprawling city, covering Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Amazing. It is hard to imagine life in the city without its metro.

There is another “metro.” It is the web of tunnels beneath Gaza. Its goal is not to facilitate life but to bring death. And it is at long last seen by Israel as an existential strategic threat that must be destroyed. To do so will take creative thinking and a massive ground invasion, facing huge difficulties.

How large is the Gaza ‘metro’?

Truly staggering. The tunnels stretch for miles beneath the length and breadth of Gaza. An IDF website notes that since January 2014, some 4,680 trucks carrying 181,000 tons of gravel, iron, cement, wood, and other materials passed through the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza – from Israel. Yes, we Israelis were fully complicit in this.

Bar-Ilan University geology professor Joel Roskin has published books and articles on tunnels and used his expertise in his IDF service. He told Jerusalem Post reporter Judy Siegel-Itzkovich that Hamas tunnels have been a project under construction for many years. “It began with the smuggling of goods [mainly to and from Egypt], progressed to the smuggling of weapons, and later evolved into attack tunnels,” he said.

Siegel-Itzkovich observes that “in recent years, Hamas integrated the underground system in many ways into its defensive and offensive system, built by cruelly combining military warfare, guerrilla warfare, and terrorism.”

All this, right under our noses.

The IDF will continue striking Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the conclusion of the temporary ceasefire, Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi said on Saturday evening.

Speaking ahead of the expected release of 13 hostages on Saturday following the release of another 13 the day prior, Halevi stressed that the IDF will not stop fighting until all hostages are returned home.

"We have a moral obligation to bring them all home," he said.

IDF using four-day ceasefire to prepare, rest - Halevi

Halevi noted that the Israeli military is using the four-day truce in Gaza to "learn, prepare ourselves and our capabilities better" ahead of the continued fighting.

"We are also resting," he said, adding that "we will resume our immediate dismantling of Hamas and maneuvers in the Strip, also to apply heavy pressure to bring as many hostages home.

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi speaks to Israeli Air Force soldiers and officers on November 25, 2023 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

"We have a duty to battle and risk our lives so that the hostages could return to live safely in Israel."

Palestinian terror group Hamas have delayed the release of 13 more Israeli hostages to Red Cross custody on Saturday, calling for Israel to allow more food trucks into the Northern Gaza strip, according to Israeli media.

Cairo claimed earlier it 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.

Families of Israeli hostages have been notified to start heading to medical facilities across Israel as they await the arrival of their loved ones, all women and children from Kibbutz Be'eri.

Blasts were heard in Israel's southernmost city of Eilat amid Israeli reports of echoes of explosions in the city.

This is a developing story.