The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with the US television station NBC The possibility of an agreement on the release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas has been suggested. When asked by a journalist about a possible agreement on the release of women, children and the elderly, Netanyahu said on Sunday: “That could be.” He added: “The less I speak out on this issue, the more I increase the chances of this becoming a reality.”
If this succeeds, it would be solely the result of military pressure, emphasized Netanyahu. “That is the only thing that could lead to an agreement.” It was only with the ground offensive by the Israeli military in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip that there was movement in the negotiations. “We will talk about it when the time comes and announce it when it comes to fruition.”
NBC and other US media reported, citing government circles, that Hamas was being discussed release around 80 women and children could – in return for Palestinian women and teenagers who are in custody in Israel. There was no official confirmation of this. Also Netanyahu did not go into any details of a possible deal.
US President Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivantold the ABC broadcaster that negotiations were underway Qatar involved and the US government actively involved be. “Attempts are being made to reach an agreement that includes the release of hostages,” Sullivan said. Biden will not rest until such an agreement is reached.
But Sullivan emphasized: “I have to be careful about what I say publicly about this because it is of course a delicate and sensitive negotiation.” The US government does not have an exact number of hostages. There are only a number of missing people. But it is unclear how many of them are still alive. From the American side, nine people with American citizenship and one person with a permanent residence permit are missing.
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