Melanie Phillips
Substack, Nov. 24, 2023
“Hamas is an enemy of mankind that the world has never seen before. Its principal weapon of war is the general population — of Gaza, Israel and the West.”
As if Israelis weren’t traumatised enough by the depraved Hamas pogrom on October 7, the hostage deal concluded this week cruelly deepened their agony.
On Wednesday morning, the terms of the deal between Israel and Hamas were announced. Of the hostages, 30 children, eight of their mothers and 12 other women were to be released in exchange for a four-day “pause” in Israel’s ground and air military operations, more aid deliveries to Gaza and the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. In addition, for every further 10 hostages released by Hamas, Israel would continue the ceasefire for another day.
Late on Wednesday night, Israel’s National Security Council director, Tzachi Hanegbi, announced a delay. The hostages wouldn’t be released until Friday at the earliest.
Late on Thursday, Qatar said the deal would go into effect at 7 a.m. on Friday. Various reports said that, at the last minute, Hamas had imposed further conditions on the handover or ramped up its demands that Israel further curtail its military activities.
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