The President of the United States, Joe Biden, said on Monday (20) that he believes an agreement to guarantee the release of hostages held by the terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip is close, responding positively when questioned by journalists at the White House about a possible consensus.
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Reuters reported last week that Qatari mediators were seeking an agreement between Israel and Hamas to release 50 hostages in exchange for a three-day ceasefire, which would also help expand the delivery of emergency aid to civilians in Gaza, according to an official familiar with the negotiations.
As a result, around 240 people were taken hostage during the deadly attack by Hamas terrorists against Israel on October 7, which led the country to invade the Palestinian enclave to exterminate the terrorist group.
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Approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the Hamas attack, according to Israeli calculations, marking the deadliest day in Israel’s 75-year history.
Thus, since then, the Gaza government, run by Hamas terrorists, has said that more than 13,000 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 5,500 children.
Despite the ongoing fighting, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, told ABC News on Sunday that Israel was hopeful that a significant number of hostages could be released by Hamas “in the coming days.”