Negotiations Underway for Three-Day Humanitarian Cease-Fire in Gaza Strip, Potential Release of 12 Hostages

Negotiations for a three-day humanitarian cease-fire in the Gaza Strip are underway, with the potential release of 12 hostages, half of them Americans, as part of the deal. A source close to Hamas told the AFP news agency on Wednesday that the cease-fire would enable Hamas to release the hostages and Egypt to deliver humanitarian aid.

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said today that Israel will implement four-hour pauses in fighting in areas of the northern Gaza Strip every day. International mediators are working to reach a deal for the cease-fire, according to two Egyptian officials, a United Nations official and a Western diplomat.

Kirby expressed concern that Hamas will discourage or prevent civilians from fleeing the area during the pauses. He added that the Israeli military had informed the U.S. that there would be no military operations in the areas involved during the pauses.

The cease-fire is seen as a critical step in providing humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. “It’s critical, absolutely vital, that humanitarian supplies and assistance are expanded in the areas where people are moving, in this case, southern Gaza,” Kirby said. Negotiations are ongoing and the outcome of the cease-fire remains uncertain.