US Secretary of State Blinken calls hostage deal "significant progress"
Antony Blinken attends an event in San Francisco, California, on November 17. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday night that the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas “marks significant progress" but vowed, “we will not rest as long as Hamas continues to hold hostages in Gaza.”
"Today’s outcome is the result of tireless diplomacy and relentless effort across the department and broader United States government," he said in a statement, thanking Egypt and Qatar for their role in the discussions, and the Israeli government for "supporting a humanitarian pause."
"My highest priority is the safety and security of Americans overseas, and we will continue our efforts to secure the release of every hostage and their swift reunification with their families," Blinken said.
The agreement includes a four-day pause in Israel's assault on Gaza, in exchange for the release of 50 hostages — women and children. A number of Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails will also be released, Qatar said in a statement.
No details have been shared on which hostages will be released in the initial batch. An estimated 239 hostages are being held in Gaza, abducted during Hamas’ bloody October 7 attacks on Israel.
19 min ago
Israel approved a hostage deal with Hamas. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Israel and Hamas have reached a breakthrough deal in their ongoing conflictfor a four-day humanitarian pause to allow the release of at least 50 hostages– women and children – held in Gaza, key negotiator Qatar said Wednesday.
The deal, which hinged on approval from Israel’s cabinet and follows weeks of negotiations that included the United States and Egypt, marks a breakthrough nearly seven weeks since Israel declared war on Hamas.
The hostages will be released in exchange for a number of Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails, Qatar said in a statement. The start of the pause will be announced within the next 24 hours.
According to a Hamas statement, the deal will include the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners and allow the entry of hundreds of trucks carrying aid relief, medical supplies and fuel to Gaza.
While the exact names of the hostages to be released has yet to be publicized, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said they are all Israelis, though some have dual nationalities. After the deal was announced, US President Joe Biden said it "should bring home additional American hostages."
Here are other headlines from the war:
Calls for ceasefire: The United Nations has called for an immediate ceasefire but said it would welcome a pause in fighting for the organization to be able to get more aid into Gaza, according to UN relief chief Martin Griffiths. China's leader also reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire involving all parties and called for the release of detained civilians.
Humanitarian crisis: In its latest update on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the main UN agency in the Gaza Strip said that almost 1.7 million people have been displaced since October 7. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East said that 930,000 internally displaced people were sheltering in its premises across Gaza as of November 19. The shelters are already severely overcrowded and have no more room for new arrivals, it said. And up to 50% of the buildings in northern Gaza and Gaza governorates have been damaged in the war since October 7, according to an analysis of radar satellite data carried out by researchers at the City University of New York Graduate Center and Oregon State University.
More strikes: Wounded men, women and children were taken to hospitals in Gaza after Israeli airstrikes on the Jabalya area in northern Gaza, Reuters videos shot on Tuesday show. The IDF said early Tuesday that the Israeli Air Force was “preparing the battlefield” by focusing on “terror targets” in Jabalya. Also, two heavy explosions sent up large plumes of smoke in northern Gaza early Tuesday evening. The explosions shook windows and doorframes of a CNN position in Sderot, across from the border with Gaza.
17 min ago
Hostage families face “terrible week” ahead seeing if their loved ones will be released, relative says
From CNN’s Manveena Suri
Family and friends of Israelis being held in Gaza at a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel on November 21. Ariel Schalit/AP
Families of hostages held by Hamas will face a “terrible week” ahead of knowing whether their loved ones will be among the hostages released, one relative told CNN after Israel and Hamas reached a breakthrough deal early Wednesday.
“My family, like all the other families, is going to go through a terrible week. We don't know if my cousin is going to be amongst those released in this round,” said Maya Roman, the cousin of a female hostage.
“As it seems, we're going to have to wait and see every day who are going to be released the following day and that's going to be extremely hard,” Roman said, adding that it was causing tensions among the different families.
Despite this, Roman said she is "proud" of her government, telling CNN: “I think this is a good deal.”
“This is what we wanted for our loved ones, to start coming back and you see that. As Israel keeps saying, what is important for us is life and the living and we're willing to exchange more people and to get our people back to give this ceasefire, because the one thing that's important to us here is to get the hostages back,” she said. “Me and my family kept faith all this time that our government really was putting the hostages at the top of the priority list.”
The deal: In a statement, Qatar — which played a key mediation role in negotiations between Israel and Hamas — confirmed the deal would see the release of 50 civilian women and children currently held in Gaza, in exchange for Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons.
19 min ago
Qatar releases statement on hostage deal and "humanitarian pause"
From CNN's Becky Anderson in Doha
Qatar, which played a key mediation role in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, has issued its own statement announcing what it called “an agreement for a humanitarian pause.”
In line with earlier announcements from both Hamas and the Israeli government, the statement from Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the pause in fighting would last four days, with the possibility of being extended longer.
It said the start of the pause would be announced within 24 hours.
What's in the deal: The statement confirmed the deal sees the release of 50 civilian women and children currently held in Gaza, in exchange for Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons.
The statement did not put a number on how many Palestinians would be released, but appeared to indicate the number would increase the longer the truce agreement is in place.
It also said the pause will allow for a “larger number of humanitarian convoys and relief aid including fuel designated for humanitarian needs.”
Israel has been highly reluctant to allow fuel into Gaza since October 7, and only agreed at the weekend to allow minimal deliveries to power sewage facilities and water supply systems.
The statement said Qatar was committed “to ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions, stop the bloodshed, and protect civilians,” and paid tribute to Egypt and the United States for helping get the deal over the line.
3 min ago
Israeli cabinet met for 6 hours before approving hostage deal, official says
From Jeremy Diamond and Mike Schwartz in Sderot
A sign illuminates a square calling for the release of Israelis being held in Gaza on November 21, in Tel Aviv. Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images
The Israeli cabinet meeting to discuss the hostage release deal lasted about six hours – and topics ranged from the morality of the proposed deal to its battlefield implications, an Israeli official told CNN’s Jeremy Diamond.
“The cabinet meeting did grow tense and emotional at times, but ended with the government overwhelmingly approving the deal,” the official said.
Another government official, Gal Hirsch, told CNN that far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who had previously voiced concerns about the deal, ended up supporting it.
Only two people voted against the agreement, including far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Hirsch, who acts as a hostage coordinator for Israel, said he had told the hostages’ families early Wednesday the government "will do everything to bring all the hostages back home.”
The timeline for the first hostages to cross into Israel was still unclear, he added.
What the deal entails: The agreement would see the release of at least 50 hostages in Gaza, women and children, in exchange for a four-day pause in Israel's air and ground assault on the enclave, according to the Israeli government.
The deal will also include the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners — women and children — held in Israeli jails, according to a Hamas statement. It would also allow the entry of hundreds of trucks carrying aid relief, medical supplies and fuel to Gaza.
20 min ago
150 Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israeli jails as part of hostage deal, Hamas says
From CNN's Kareem El Damanhoury
One hundred and fifty Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails will be released as part of a deal reached with Israel over hostages held in Gaza, according to a Hamas statement early Wednesday.
The prisoners are women and children, the statement said.
Hamas confirmed the deal, brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediation, which will see the release of 50 hostages, also women and children, held in Gaza since October 7. It also said the agreement involves the entry of hundreds of trucks carrying aid relief, medical supplies and fuel to all parts of Gaza.
IDF spokesperson Lt. Jonathan Conricus said the full list of relevant prisoners has yet to be released, but unlike the last hostage deal, this group does not include anyone who was involved in the October 7 attacks.
“The mastermind behind many of the horrible things that are unfolding since October 7th, was indeed released in the latest hostage deal,” Conricus told CNN. “What I know is that the Palestinians that are being freed from prisons are not at all that caliber of terrorists that we were talking about before, not serious offenders.”
Conricus suggested the list of prisoners included in the deal will be released soon, following a short window for appeals.
20 min ago
It's unclear when the pause in fighting will begin, diplomatic source says
Though Israel's cabinet early Wednesday approved an agreement for the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a four-day truce in fighting, the “details on when the pause starts are still unclear," a diplomatic source familiar with the talks told CNN.
The Israeli government statement confirming the deal held out the potential for the truce to extend beyond the four-day period, in exchange for more hostages released.
20 min ago
Israel says 4-day truce in Gaza could be extended if more hostages are released
From CNN's Andrew Carey
The Israeli government held out the potential for a truce to extend beyond the original four-day period, saying in a statement that an extra day would be added to the truce for each 10 additional hostages available for release.
The statement also made clear that Israel plans to resume its air and ground campaign “to complete the eradication of Hamas” once this round of hostage releases concludes.
Israel’s cabinet approved a deal that would see the release of some hostages from Gaza on Tuesday in exchange for a four-day truce in Israel’s air and ground campaign in the enclave. The deal was approved by a significant majority of the cabinet, a government source told CNN.
20 min ago
Israel’s cabinet votes to approve deal to release at least 50 hostages in exchange for 4-day truce
From CNN's Andrew Carey
Israel’s cabinet has approved a deal that would see the release of at least 50 hostages — women and children — held in Gaza by Hamas, in exchange for a four-day truce in Israel’s air and ground campaign in the enclave, according to an Israeli government statement.
The statement held out the potential for the truce to extend beyond the original four-day period, saying that an extra day would be added to the truce for each 10 additional hostages available for release.
The statement also made clear that Israel plans to resume its air and ground campaign “to complete the eradication of Hamas” once this round of hostage releases concludes.
The statement made no mention of the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, though it is understood this is also a key part of the deal. Earlier reports Tuesday suggested about 150 Palestinian prisoners — also predominantly women and children — would be released.
The deal was approved by the Israeli cabinet by a significant majority, a government source told CNN.
A more detailed statement will be sent to families of the hostages later today, the statement read.
This post was updated with additional details from the Israeli government statement.
The agreement would see the release of at least 50 hostages – women and children – in exchange for a four-day truce in Israel’s air and ground campaign, according to a government statement. And it held out the potential for an extension, saying that an extra day would be added for each additional 10 hostages available for release.
150 Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israeli jails as part of the agreement, Hamas said in a statement.
Meanwhile, almost 1.7 million people have been displaced in Gaza since October 7, a UN agency said. And up to 50% of the buildings in northern Gaza and Gaza governorates have been damaged, according to an analysis of radar satellite data.
Antony Blinken attends an event in San Francisco, California, on November 17. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday night that the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas “marks significant progress" but vowed, “we will not rest as long as Hamas continues to hold hostages in Gaza.”
"Today’s outcome is the result of tireless diplomacy and relentless effort across the department and broader United States government," he said in a statement, thanking Egypt and Qatar for their role in the discussions, and the Israeli government for "supporting a humanitarian pause."
"My highest priority is the safety and security of Americans overseas, and we will continue our efforts to secure the release of every hostage and their swift reunification with their families," Blinken said.
The agreement includes a four-day pause in Israel's assault on Gaza, in exchange for the release of 50 hostages — women and children. A number of Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails will also be released, Qatar said in a statement.
No details have been shared on which hostages will be released in the initial batch. An estimated 239 hostages are being held in Gaza, abducted during Hamas’ bloody October 7 attacks on Israel.
Israel and Hamas have reached a breakthrough deal in their ongoing conflictfor a four-day humanitarian pause to allow the release of at least 50 hostages– women and children – held in Gaza, key negotiator Qatar said Wednesday.
The deal, which hinged on approval from Israel’s cabinet and follows weeks of negotiations that included the United States and Egypt, marks a breakthrough nearly seven weeks since Israel declared war on Hamas.
The hostages will be released in exchange for a number of Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails, Qatar said in a statement. The start of the pause will be announced within the next 24 hours.
According to a Hamas statement, the deal will include the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners and allow the entry of hundreds of trucks carrying aid relief, medical supplies and fuel to Gaza.
While the exact names of the hostages to be released has yet to be publicized, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said they are all Israelis, though some have dual nationalities. After the deal was announced, US President Joe Biden said it "should bring home additional American hostages."
Here are other headlines from the war:
Calls for ceasefire: The United Nations has called for an immediate ceasefire but said it would welcome a pause in fighting for the organization to be able to get more aid into Gaza, according to UN relief chief Martin Griffiths. China's leader also reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire involving all parties and called for the release of detained civilians.
Humanitarian crisis: In its latest update on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the main UN agency in the Gaza Strip said that almost 1.7 million people have been displaced since October 7. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East said that 930,000 internally displaced people were sheltering in its premises across Gaza as of November 19. The shelters are already severely overcrowded and have no more room for new arrivals, it said. And up to 50% of the buildings in northern Gaza and Gaza governorates have been damaged in the war since October 7, according to an analysis of radar satellite data carried out by researchers at the City University of New York Graduate Center and Oregon State University.
More strikes: Wounded men, women and children were taken to hospitals in Gaza after Israeli airstrikes on the Jabalya area in northern Gaza, Reuters videos shot on Tuesday show. The IDF said early Tuesday that the Israeli Air Force was “preparing the battlefield” by focusing on “terror targets” in Jabalya. Also, two heavy explosions sent up large plumes of smoke in northern Gaza early Tuesday evening. The explosions shook windows and doorframes of a CNN position in Sderot, across from the border with Gaza.
Family and friends of Israelis being held in Gaza at a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel on November 21. Ariel Schalit/AP
Families of hostages held by Hamas will face a “terrible week” ahead of knowing whether their loved ones will be among the hostages released, one relative told CNN after Israel and Hamas reached a breakthrough deal early Wednesday.
“My family, like all the other families, is going to go through a terrible week. We don't know if my cousin is going to be amongst those released in this round,” said Maya Roman, the cousin of a female hostage.
“As it seems, we're going to have to wait and see every day who are going to be released the following day and that's going to be extremely hard,” Roman said, adding that it was causing tensions among the different families.
Despite this, Roman said she is "proud" of her government, telling CNN: “I think this is a good deal.”
“This is what we wanted for our loved ones, to start coming back and you see that. As Israel keeps saying, what is important for us is life and the living and we're willing to exchange more people and to get our people back to give this ceasefire, because the one thing that's important to us here is to get the hostages back,” she said. “Me and my family kept faith all this time that our government really was putting the hostages at the top of the priority list.”
The deal: In a statement, Qatar — which played a key mediation role in negotiations between Israel and Hamas — confirmed the deal would see the release of 50 civilian women and children currently held in Gaza, in exchange for Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons.
Qatar, which played a key mediation role in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, has issued its own statement announcing what it called “an agreement for a humanitarian pause.”
In line with earlier announcements from both Hamas and the Israeli government, the statement from Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the pause in fighting would last four days, with the possibility of being extended longer.
It said the start of the pause would be announced within 24 hours.
What's in the deal: The statement confirmed the deal sees the release of 50 civilian women and children currently held in Gaza, in exchange for Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons.
The statement did not put a number on how many Palestinians would be released, but appeared to indicate the number would increase the longer the truce agreement is in place.
It also said the pause will allow for a “larger number of humanitarian convoys and relief aid including fuel designated for humanitarian needs.”
Israel has been highly reluctant to allow fuel into Gaza since October 7, and only agreed at the weekend to allow minimal deliveries to power sewage facilities and water supply systems.
The statement said Qatar was committed “to ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions, stop the bloodshed, and protect civilians,” and paid tribute to Egypt and the United States for helping get the deal over the line.
A sign illuminates a square calling for the release of Israelis being held in Gaza on November 21, in Tel Aviv. Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images
The Israeli cabinet meeting to discuss the hostage release deal lasted about six hours – and topics ranged from the morality of the proposed deal to its battlefield implications, an Israeli official told CNN’s Jeremy Diamond.
“The cabinet meeting did grow tense and emotional at times, but ended with the government overwhelmingly approving the deal,” the official said.
Another government official, Gal Hirsch, told CNN that far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who had previously voiced concerns about the deal, ended up supporting it.
Only two people voted against the agreement, including far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Hirsch, who acts as a hostage coordinator for Israel, said he had told the hostages’ families early Wednesday the government "will do everything to bring all the hostages back home.”
The timeline for the first hostages to cross into Israel was still unclear, he added.
What the deal entails: The agreement would see the release of at least 50 hostages in Gaza, women and children, in exchange for a four-day pause in Israel's air and ground assault on the enclave, according to the Israeli government.
The deal will also include the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners — women and children — held in Israeli jails, according to a Hamas statement. It would also allow the entry of hundreds of trucks carrying aid relief, medical supplies and fuel to Gaza.
One hundred and fifty Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails will be released as part of a deal reached with Israel over hostages held in Gaza, according to a Hamas statement early Wednesday.
The prisoners are women and children, the statement said.
Hamas confirmed the deal, brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediation, which will see the release of 50 hostages, also women and children, held in Gaza since October 7. It also said the agreement involves the entry of hundreds of trucks carrying aid relief, medical supplies and fuel to all parts of Gaza.
IDF spokesperson Lt. Jonathan Conricus said the full list of relevant prisoners has yet to be released, but unlike the last hostage deal, this group does not include anyone who was involved in the October 7 attacks.
“The mastermind behind many of the horrible things that are unfolding since October 7th, was indeed released in the latest hostage deal,” Conricus told CNN. “What I know is that the Palestinians that are being freed from prisons are not at all that caliber of terrorists that we were talking about before, not serious offenders.”
Conricus suggested the list of prisoners included in the deal will be released soon, following a short window for appeals.
Though Israel's cabinet early Wednesday approved an agreement for the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a four-day truce in fighting, the “details on when the pause starts are still unclear," a diplomatic source familiar with the talks told CNN.
The Israeli government statement confirming the deal held out the potential for the truce to extend beyond the four-day period, in exchange for more hostages released.
The Israeli government held out the potential for a truce to extend beyond the original four-day period, saying in a statement that an extra day would be added to the truce for each 10 additional hostages available for release.
The statement also made clear that Israel plans to resume its air and ground campaign “to complete the eradication of Hamas” once this round of hostage releases concludes.
Israel’s cabinet approved a deal that would see the release of some hostages from Gaza on Tuesday in exchange for a four-day truce in Israel’s air and ground campaign in the enclave. The deal was approved by a significant majority of the cabinet, a government source told CNN.
Israel’s cabinet has approved a deal that would see the release of at least 50 hostages — women and children — held in Gaza by Hamas, in exchange for a four-day truce in Israel’s air and ground campaign in the enclave, according to an Israeli government statement.
The statement held out the potential for the truce to extend beyond the original four-day period, saying that an extra day would be added to the truce for each 10 additional hostages available for release.
The statement also made clear that Israel plans to resume its air and ground campaign “to complete the eradication of Hamas” once this round of hostage releases concludes.
The statement made no mention of the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, though it is understood this is also a key part of the deal. Earlier reports Tuesday suggested about 150 Palestinian prisoners — also predominantly women and children — would be released.
The deal was approved by the Israeli cabinet by a significant majority, a government source told CNN.
A more detailed statement will be sent to families of the hostages later today, the statement read.
This post was updated with additional details from the Israeli government statement.
