Amid the churn of Middle East conflict, US President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was deeply relieved that some hostages taken when Hamas operatives entered Israel on October 7 will soon go free. “I am extraordinarily gratified that some of these brave souls will be reunited with their families once this deal is fully implemented,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House. He was referring to an agreement reached in the Gaza Strip that calls for Israel and Hamas to release 50 women and children over four days, with one additional prisoner released for every ten hostages. It also calls for a sustained pause in fighting during the period.
The negotiated deal is the first in a month of intense Israeli bombardment in which 13 300 Palestinians have been killed, including nearly two-thirds of the population of the tiny, densely populated enclave, according to authorities there. The agreement could also pave the way for a more extensive hostage-for-prisoner exchange that would include more of the 240 Israeli and dual-national civilians held captive by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. However, the broad parameters of such an exchange remain in flux.
Russia, like most of the world, has been urging for the release of all hostages and a halt to the fighting. The Kremlin hailed the news of a possible truce as “the first good piece of news from Gaza in a very long time.”
National security adviser Jake Sullivan and special presidential envoy for hostage affairs Roger Carstens met with family members of the Americans who were captured during the assault, a source told CNN. The meeting lasted several hours, during which the family members pleaded with the administration to continue to push for a more extensive prisoner-for-hostage exchange. The aides, along with Biden, will continue to meet with representatives of the families of the hostages and the Palestinian prisoners.
China also welcomed the news, calling for an end to the violence in Gaza and saying it hoped the agreement would lead to further discussions. China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, urged the relevant parties to “de-escalate tensions and promote the peaceful settlement of the hostage crisis.”
Singapore, which was the sole Asian country to vote for the resolution, called for all parties to take steps to ensure the safe and immediate release of the remaining hostages, protect civilians, uphold their legal and humanitarian obligations, and address the root causes of the ongoing conflict. The tiny Southeast Asian nation has a longstanding policy of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs, which it says is consistent with its principle of being a friend to all and an enemy to none.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also pressed for a complete ceasefire, calling on Israel to stop its attack on the people of Gaza and “release the 232 Palestinian prisoners it has captured.” He chaired a virtual summit of the BRICS group of major emerging economies — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — that was held via video conference to discuss the crisis in Gaza.
