White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said Thursday morning he is “confident” the cease-fire and hostage exchange agreement can still be “implemented” on Sunday as the families of two Americans scheduled for immediate release await answers. Are doing.
“There’s a deal,” Kirby told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. “We are confident that we will be able to implement it from Sunday. There are some implementation details that still need to be fine-tuned. We are working very hard with the Israelis right now.
“But we’re confident we’ll get there,” he said.
From left, American hostages being held in Gaza: Aidan Alexander, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Keith Siegel, Omar Neutra, Judy Weinstein Haggai, Gadi Haggai and Itay Chen. (Fox News)
Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal hangs in limbo due to delay in key vote
Confusion reigned over whether a deal had been successfully reached – as both the US and Qatar confirmed on Wednesday – after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Thursday that Hamas was “at the last minute “Creating a crisis that prevents agreement” arose.
According to a statement shared by Israeli news agency TPS-IL, he claimed, “Hamas is withdrawing from the clear understanding with the mediators and Israel in a last-minute blackmail attempt.”
Hamas has reportedly denied the Israeli government’s allegations.
Netanyahu postponed a cabinet hearing scheduled for Thursday morning to vote on the deal until “mediators have announced that Hamas has approved all details of the agreement.”
But Kirby seemed determined to make it clear that the deal is not broken, telling MSNBC, “It’s not breaking.”
Also told NBC, “We are aware of these issues that the Prime Minister has raised… We are confident that we will be able to resolve these issues at the last minute and move this forward.”
Photographs of loved ones taken by Hamas are displayed during the Defend Israeli Democracy UK press conference at the Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel in London on October 12, 2023. (Lucy North/PA Images via Getty Images)
Israel’s Netanyahu delays vote on Gaza ceasefire, accusing Hamas of trying to back out of deal
The first phase of the agreement plans to release approximately 33 hostages, with priority given to the release of potentially children, women, the elderly and the sick or injured. The initial phase will last for a period of 42 days in which hostages will be gradually released, including three detainees who will be freed on the first day of the deal going into effect.
Some reports suggest that three Israeli female soldiers could be released on the first day of the agreement.
However, a senior administration official told Fox News as well as other journalists on Wednesday that two of the three surviving Americans in Gaza would be released on the first day.
The official said, “We’ll see – and I don’t want to say anything until we actually see them – but Keith Siegel and Sagui Dekel-Chen will be out on the first day and Aden will be out of Gaza, no doubt. ” Said.
Adan Alexander is a 21-year-old American Israeli who served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on the day of the October 7, 2023 attack, although the soldiers will not be released until the second phase, which will begin. On the 43rd day of ceasefire.
Israeli hostage families carrying photographs of their loved ones, held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, march towards Jerusalem. (Matan Golan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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On the 16th day of the first phase, negotiations will begin on the specifics of the release of the remaining hostages, both dead and alive.
There are still at least 98 hostages in Gaza, 94 of whom were taken as of October 7, 2023. While 62 of them are believed to be alive, 36 are believed to be dead.
“We are committed to evacuating all Americans. These are American-Israeli citizens, all of them are out of Gaza,” the official said. “Whether survive or exist. That is our commitment.”
