CNN wrote that although the ceasefire reached through the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners had ended, it was extended at the last minute, referring to Qatar, which participated in the negotiations as a mediator. This announcement is for one day, but negotiations are still ongoing, with the hope of reaching a long-term ceasefire.
Israel had previously indicated that it was prepared to grant another day of ceasefire for every ten Israeli hostages that were released. In the October 7 attack by Hamas, the armed organization kidnapped nearly 240 Israelis while killing 1,400 others. From Friday to Monday, Hamas released 50 Israeli hostages – women and children – so it can hold nearly 200 hostage. It is not known exactly how many there are: the Palestinian armed organization has never provided a specific figure – and the matter is further complicated by the fact that in addition to Hamas, the Islamic Jihad movement also kidnapped hostages during the bloody attack on October 7 – and it is certain that many of them died among the hostages. . Many of them were elderly and sick, and others were seriously injured after massacres of civilian targets.
Hamas had previously reported that at least 50 hostages were killed in Israeli military raids in the Gaza Strip, but it was impossible to verify this. There was an example where a hostage declared dead by the armed organization ended up being kept alive – the 79-year-old woman was among the 50 hostages released. Recently, Hamas announced the killing of the youngest hostages, a 10-month-old boy, his 4-year-old brother and their mother. According to the militants, they were also victims of an Israeli retaliatory strike, which the Israeli army disputed. The gunmen also kidnapped the children’s father, and nothing is yet known about his fate.
While in Israel, Telex spoke with a survivor of the Hamas attack, as well as relatives of the hostages, including the mother of the Hungarian girls who were released as a result of the settlement.