Kirby ‘confident’ Americans in Gaza will be freed Sunday amid reports Israel, Hamas holdup deal
The White House national security communications adviser, John Kirby, expressed confidence on Thursday morning that a cease-fire and hostage exchange deal could still be implemented on Sunday. Families of two Americans who were slated for immediate release were eagerly awaiting answers.
Kirby assured ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that there was indeed a deal in place, and while there were some details that still needed to be ironed out, they were working diligently with the Israelis to get everything in order. He remained optimistic about the prospects of the deal coming to fruition.
The situation became murky when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Hamas was creating a last-minute crisis to prevent a settlement. He accused Hamas of backing out of the agreed-upon understandings with mediators and Israel, calling it a blackmail attempt. However, Hamas denied these allegations.
Netanyahu postponed a cabinet hearing that was meant to vote on the deal until the mediators confirmed that Hamas had approved all the details. Despite the Israeli government’s concerns, Kirby reiterated that the deal had not collapsed and was confident that any last-minute issues could be resolved.
The agreement was set to release 33 hostages in the first phase, prioritizing children, women, the elderly, and the sick or wounded. The release would be staggered over a 42-day period, with three captives set to be freed on the first day of implementation. There were reports suggesting that three Israeli female soldiers might be among those released on the initial day.
A senior administration official revealed that two of the three living Americans in Gaza were expected to be released on the first day. Keith Siegel and Sagui Dekel-Chen were named as the individuals slated for release, with Edan Alexander, a former IDF soldier, set to be released in the second phase.
Negotiations for the release of the remaining hostages, both alive and deceased, were scheduled to begin on the 16th day of the first phase. There were 98 hostages being held in Gaza, with 62 believed to be alive and 36 assessed to be deceased. The official emphasized the commitment to bringing all American-Israeli citizens out of Gaza, whether living or as remains.
As the situation continued to evolve, families of the hostages held in Gaza remained hopeful for a positive outcome. The international community awaited updates on the progress of the deal and the safe return of the hostages.
