Israel committed to return of all hostages, elimination of Hamas: PM Benjamin Netanyahu
Nov 28, 2023
Tel Aviv [Israel], November 28 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country is committed to ensuring the return of all hostages, the elimination of Hamas and the promise that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israeli citizens.
"We are committed to continuing our mission: the return of all our abductees, the elimination of Hamas above and below ground, and the promise that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to the citizens of Israel," the Israeli PM posted on his official 'X' handle.
Meanwhile, Israel received a list of Israeli hostages to be released on Tuesday by Hamas as part of the extended truce agreement reached on Monday, The Times of Israel reported, citing the Israel Prime Minister's office.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office stated that the list of hostages is currently being reviewed and "notices are being delivered at this time" to the families of those set to be released after more than 50 days of being held hostage in Gaza.
The announcement did not mention the number of hostages set to be released Tuesday.
Since Friday, 50 Israeli hostages have been released as part of an initial four-day truce agreement, The Times of Israel reported.
According to the initial truce agreement, Israel agreed to halt its military operations in Gaza for four days and emphasised that it would release three Palestinian security prisoners for each of the 50 hostages freed from Gaza, The Times of Israel reported.
Further, Hamas also released 17 Thais, one Philippines national and one dual Russian-Israeli national.
Israel and Hamas agreed to extend the temporary truce by two days, paving the way for the release of some 20 more people held hostage by the terror group.
Earlier, the Israeli government approved the inclusion of 50 women in the list of prisoners eligible to be released in the event that a release of additional Israeli hostages is conducted.
Taking to X, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office posted, "Announcement from the Prime Minister's Office: The Government has approved the inclusion of 50 female prisoners in the list of prisoners eligible to be released in the event that a release of additional Israeli hostages is carried out."
