Possible Hostage Deal Pending? Emergency War Cabinet Meeting Called

By Arutz-7
Posted on 11/19/23 | News Source: Arutz-7

The members of the War Cabinet were ordered to rush to an emergency meeting at the IDF Central Headquarters in Tel Aviv amid reports of the progression of a possible deal to free hostages from Hamas captivity. The meeting, which was supposed to begin at 9:00 p.m., was made earlier to 8:00 p.m.

According to a report by Channel 12, an Israeli official confirmed that the meeting was scheduled for earlier because of a possible hostage deal.

Earlier today, Deputy National Security Advisor of the United States Jonathan Finer told CNN that while the distance between the sides has gotten smaller, a deal has yet to be reached to bring back the hostages.

The Washington Post reported on Saturday night that Israel, the US and Hamas have agreed to a tentative deal that would free dozens of women and children held hostage in Gaza, in exchange for a five-day pause in fighting.

The release could begin within the next several days, barring last-minute hitches, said people familiar with the provisions of the agreement.

Under the terms of a detailed, six-page agreement, all parties to the conflict would freeze combat operations for at least five days while an initial 50 or more hostages are released in smaller batches every 24 hours, according to The Washington Post.

It was not immediately clear how many of the 239 hostages believed to be in captivity in Gaza would be released under the deal. Overhead surveillance would monitor movement on the ground to police the pause.