The Times of Israel is liveblogging Tuesday’s events as they unfold.
Palestinian protest icon Ahed Tamimi on list of 50 prisoners set for potential release in truce extension
Prominent Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi is said to be on the list approved earlier of 50 female Palestinian prisoners okayed for potential early release as part of an extended truce agreement with Hamas, according to reports in the Hebrew-language media.
Tamimi was arrested just three weeks ago after posting on social media that Palestinians will “slaughter” settlers and “drink your blood.”
“Our message to the herds of settlers is that we are waiting for you in all the West Bank cities, from Hebron to Jenin,” Tamimi wrote “We will slaughter you and you will say that what Hitler did to you was a joke, we will drink your blood and eat your skulls. Come on, we’re waiting for you.”
Tamimi became an icon of the Palestinian cause after she was jailed as a teenager for slapping an Israeli soldier. She said the soldiers had shot her cousin in the head with a rubber bullet an hour prior to the filmed encounter.
Tamimi, who was 16 at the time, admitted as part of a plea deal to the aggravated assault of an IDF soldier, incitement to violence, and disrupting soldiers on two other occasions.
She served an eight-month sentence in an Israeli prison, and after she was released, went on a victory tour, crisscrossing Europe and the Middle East.
Since Friday, Hamas has freed 50 Israelis hostages, with 11 released earlier Monday on the fourth day of the initial four-day truce with the terror group following its October 7 shock onslaught and the subsequent Israeli military campaign in the Palestinian enclave.
The truce, set to expire tomorrow, will now extend by two days, Qatar and the US confirmed earlier, and should see the release of about 10 more Israeli hostages per additional truce day.
Under the initial agreement Israel agreed to halt its military operation in Gaza for four days, and release three Palestinian security prisoners for each of the 50 hostages freed from Gaza.
As a result of parallel negotiations led by Qatar, Hamas also released 17 Thais, one Filipino and one dual Russian-Israeli national.
PM receives list of Israeli hostages set for release Tuesday as truce extends by 2 days
Israel received the list of Israeli hostages set to be released tomorrow (Tuesday) by Hamas, says the Prime Minister’s Office, as part of an extended truce agreement reached earlier Monday.
The list of hostages is currently being reviewed, says the PMO, and “notices are being delivered at this time” to the families of those set to be freed after over 50 days as hostages in Gaza.
The announcement does not specify the number of hostages set for release tomorrow. Since Friday, 50 Israeli hostages have been released as part of an initial deal for a four-day lull in fighting in Gaza and the release of three Palestinian prisoners for each Israeli hostage.
As a result of parallel negotiations led by Qatar, Hamas also released 17 Thais, one Filipino and one dual Russian-Israeli national.
The deal also incentivized additional hostage releases: 10 Israeli abductees per additional day of respite in Gaza from Israel’s military campaign in the Palestinian enclave.
Israel and Hamas earlier agreed to extend the temporary truce by two days, paving the way for the release of some 20 more people held hostage by the Palestinian terror group.
The government earlier approved a list of 50 female Palestinian prisoners who are marked for potential early release as part of the truce agreement. The Prime Minister’s Office said in a brief statement that the government okayed the list “should additional Israeli hostages be released.”
News of the extension bolsters hopes for families of the approximately 175 Israelis and foreigners still held in Gaza, including Kfir Bibas, who was 9 months old when he was captured, along with his parents and 4-year-old brother from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7.
That day saw thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stream into southern Israel, where they slaughtered some 1,200 people and took some 240 captive.
Israel Police say emergency lines down amid unspecified ‘error’
The Israel Police says emergency lines are down amid an unspecified “temporary error” in the service.
“The police’s emergency hotline 100 is not active,” police say, adding that and emergency calls be be directed to 052-2020100.
The Magen David Adom paramedic service says callers can dial 073-2630400 for medical assistance and emergency response, “due to a malfunction in the emergency lines.”
11 Israeli civilian hostages, 9 kids and 2 moms, reunite with families in Tel Aviv Hospital
All 11 freed Israeli civilian hostages, nine children and two women, are now under the care of Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital, where they are reuniting with their families after 53 days of being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, the Health Ministry announces.
The hostages will be assessed and provided with medical and psychological care as needed.
In the press announcement, the ministry says: “We wish to remind you that these are sensitive moments for the freed hostages and their families and we wish to preserve their privacy.”
The ministry says it welcomes the return of the abductees and “wishes for the speedy return of all the other hostages.”
Israel okays budget change to prioritize defense goals, also unlocking funds for Haredi, settler interests
The cabinet approves a NIS 30 billion change to prioritize wartime needs in the remaining portion of Israel’s 2023 state budget amid strong objections that the plan will also send hundreds of millions of shekels to ultra-Orthodox and West Bank settler priorities.
The funds to both causes were already approved by the coalition as part of its political promises to partners, but frozen following the outbreak of the war on October 7.
The five war cabinet ministers from National Unity including party leader Benny Gantz, Chili Trooper, Gadi Eisenkot, and Gideon Sa’ar voted against the budget change and immediately left the plenum tonight.
Economy Minister Nir Barkat (Likud) had also previously threatened to vote against, and Likud minister Ofir Akunis abstained from the vote, saying that Israel’s economic strength pre-war was not guaranteed and that during an earlier committee meeting there was “broad consensus that there would be no spending on anything that is not related to the needs of the war.”
The budgetary changes were expected to overcome the six-vote opposition and now clear the 38-minister cabinet, moving to the Knesset for final approval.
Focusing on the last two months of 2023, the budget update diverts NIS 17 billion ($4.5 billion) to defense and NIS 13.5 billion ($3.64 billion) to civilian wartime needs, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said at the Knesset earlier.
In October, the cabinet froze all funds for discretionary political priorities that had not yet been transferred out of the Finance Ministry, in order to reevaluate which resources could be diverted to the war effort. The attorney general later backed the move. Of the NIS 2.5 billion ($674 million) in these so-called coalition funds still available for reallocation, Smotrich said he cut some NIS 1.6 billion ($430 million), about 70 percent, to divert to the war effort.
The remaining 30% of coalition funds, which following approval can be transferred to various ministries and offices, include at least NIS 300 million ($81 million) for ultra-Orthodox private education, which skirts supervision by the Education Ministry, and what Hebrew media has reported as hundreds of millions of shekels to support settler priorities in the West Bank.
In addition, Smotrich told The Times of Israel that the budget update includes NIS 390 million ($105 million) for beefing up security and security infrastructure in the West Bank.
A source close to Gantz said earlier that the budget being presented to the government is “a finger in the public’s eye,” according to a statement released by his National Unity party.
Freed Israeli hostages soon at Tel Aviv hospital to reunite with families
The freed hostages are arriving at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital to reunite with their families, after traveling from Kerem Shalom crossing where they underwent an initial medical evaluation following their release from Gaza.
They will undergo treatment and evaluation at the the hospital for a few days, depending on their state.
Israel okays list of 50 female Palestinian prisoners who may be released to extend truce
The government approved a list this evening of 50 female Palestinian prisoners who are marked for potential early release as part of an agreement to extend a temporary truce with Hamas in Gaza and secure the release of nearly 20 more Israelis held hostage by the Palestinian terror group since October 7.
The Prime Minister’s Office said in a brief statement tonight that the government okayed the list “should additional Israeli hostages be released.”
The additional names brings to 350 the number of Palestinian prisoners selected for potential early release as part of the agreement. Israel has already released 140 Palestinian prisoners, mainly female and underaged males.
Since Friday, Hamas has freed 50 Israelis hostages, with 11 released earlier Monday on the fourth day of the initial four-day truce under which Israel agreed to halt its military operation in Gaza and release three Palestinian security prisoners for each of the 50 Israeli hostages. The agreement was set to expire tomorrow.
The truce will now extend by two days, Qatar and the US confirmed earlier, and should see the release of about 10 more Israeli hostages per additional truce day.
As a result of parallel negotiations led by Qatar, Hamas also released 17 Thais, one Filipino and one dual Russian-Israeli national.
Red Cross yet to see remaining hostages, despite US and Israeli claims such visits were part of truce
While both Israeli and US officials have insisted that the ongoing truce deal between Israel and Hamas includes a clause requiring the Red Cross to visit the hostages who have not been freed by the fourth day of the temporary ceasefire, no such visits have been reported.
The Red Cross has repeatedly refused to confirm that it has been notified of this clause of the truce, but insists that it will visit the hostages if both parties agree that it should.
Hamas has yet to publicly confirm having agreed to such visits and has never in the past allowed the Red Cross to visit those it has abducted.
Asked whether the Red Cross has been able to visit the hostages, a spokesperson for the humanitarian agency refers The Times of Israel to earlier statements asserting that its staff would do so if both parties approve.
No word on release of six additional Thai hostages, despite reports
While Egyptian media reported that Hamas would release another six Thai hostages today, there has been no official update from Israeli, Hamas, Qatari, Egyptian, or US officials regarding such plans.