Israel will release major terrorists, including those who have murdered dozens of civilians, in exchange for the 33 hostages who will be freed by Hamas from captivity in Gaza, where they have been held illegally for 470 days of war.
Under the terms of the deal, there will be a ceasefire lasting six weeks (42 days), during which Hamas will free several living hostages once a week, plus twelve hostages in the final week, freeing living hostages before deceased ones.
In return, Israel will withdraw partially from Gaza, and will release roughly 1,900 terrorists — including nearly 1200 who were arrested during the war, and more than 700 who were already serving prison sentences in Israeli prisons.
While no terrorists who took part in the October 7, 2023, attacks will be released, Israel has agreed to release some terrorists who committed mass murder in past terrorist attacks. For example, according to Israel’s Army Radio, one terrorist who will be released was involved in planning a suicide bombing at the Megiddo junction in northern Israel in 2002, during the second intifada. The attack killed 17 innocent civilians who were simply riding a public bus.
The Israeli government said Saturday that authorities would begin notifying families of victims of terror that those involved in the murders of their relatives were about to be released.
The ceasefire-and-hostage deal goes into effect on Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. local time in Israel — though there could still be snags. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his government will not go through with the deal unless Hamas fulfills its obligation to provide the names of the hostages to be released.
The Red Cross is preparing to handle the transfer of hostages, as it did in the last truce, in November 2023, though the international agency has come under criticism for failing to visit the hostages during their captivity, and allowing Hamas to use the releases as propaganda events.
Update: Netanyahu addressed his nation on Saturday night, emphasizing that Israel had not given up its military gains in the Gaza Strip, including the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border. He quoted from the Bible, citing Jeremiah 31:16: “And the children shall return to their borders.”
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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