HOSTAGE FAMILIES WANT SWIFT ACTION
Israel says 98 hostages are still being held in Gaza. About half are believed to be alive. They include Israelis and non-Israelis. Of the total, 94 were seized in the Oct 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel and four have been held in Gaza since 2014.
For the first time, Israeli authorities have officially informed hostage families of the names of the first 33 to be released but it remains unclear how many of those on the list are still alive.
The ceasefire accord emerged on Wednesday after mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, Israel’s main supporter. As well as the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the deal includes a gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
It also paves the way for a surge in humanitarian aid for Gaza, where the majority of the population has been displaced and faces hunger, sickness and cold. A World Health Organization official said it should be possible to scale up aid imports into Gaza to about 600 trucks a day under the terms of the deal.
Israel launched its campaign in Gaza after Hamas-led gunmen burst into Israeli border-area communities on Oct 7, 2023, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and abducting over 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
