Key takeaways:
- Two Israeli hostages were released from the Gaza Strip as part of a four-day cease-fire deal.
- The cease-fire deal includes a halt to hostilities, the exchange of prisoners and remains of combatants, and the easing of restrictions on the movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza.
- The cease-fire is seen as a major step towards ending the conflict, which has killed more than 250 people in Gaza and 12 in Israel since it began on May 10.
In a major breakthrough in the Israel-Hamas conflict, two Israeli hostages were released from the Gaza Strip on Friday as part of a four-day cease-fire deal. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the hostages “underwent an initial medical assessment inside Israeli territory” and soldiers would then accompany them to hospitals “where they will be reunited with their families.”
At a Friday news conference about the cease-fire and release of hostages, President Joe Biden was asked his response to calls from some Democrats to place conditions on U.S. aid to Israel. Biden declined to categorically write off the idea, saying “I think that’s a worthwhile thought, but I don’t think if I started off with that we would have gotten where we are today.”
The cease-fire deal, which was brokered by Egypt and the United Nations, calls for a halt to hostilities and the exchange of prisoners and remains of combatants. It also includes the easing of restrictions on the movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza, and the opening of a sea and air corridor between the Palestinian territory and the outside world.
The cease-fire is seen as a major step towards ending the conflict, which has killed more than 250 people in Gaza and 12 in Israel since it began on May 10. The United Nations has called for a lasting peace agreement that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict, including the blockade of Gaza and the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
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