KUALA LUMPUR – The four-day truce between Israel and Hamas has hit a roadblock as the Israeli national security advisor appeared to backtrack on the deal, saying it would not take effect before Friday.
Tzachi Hanegbi, in a surprising late-night announcement, said Gaza captives would not be released yet as discussions on that were “advancing and continuing constantly”.
Meanwhile, Israel has continued its bombardment of Gaza since the truce was announced, reported Palestinian news agency Wafa, as well as launching raids in the West Bank that led to the death of a 17-year-old boy hours ago.
Even so, not much is expected from the deal as Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a nationally televised news conference yesterday that the siege of Gaza would resume after the truce.
“I want to be clear. The war is continuing. The war is continuing. We will continue it until we achieve all our goals.”
He said he had instructed Mossad spies to hunt down Hamas leadership “wherever they are”.
Netanyahu has repeatedly said Israel’s goals are to destroy Hamas and see the safe return of all 240 hostages held captive in Gaza.
After the Israeli cabinet agreed to the deal, the Israeli Justice Ministry published a list of 300 prisoners eligible to be released, mostly teenagers detained for rock throwing and other minor offences.
In response, Hamas said 50 women and children held captive in Gaza would be freed in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails.
Hamas added that Israel would also stop its siege on Gaza and that hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian, medical, and fuel aid would be allowed into the strip.
So far, more than 14,500 people have been killed and 1.7 million people displaced in Gaza. Israel has claimed that it has suffered 1,200 deaths of its own. – November 23, 2023