Nov. 19: Israel, the United States and Hamas have reached a tentative agreement to free dozens of women and children held hostage in Gaza in exchange for a five-day ceasefire, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the deal.
As part of the detailed, six-page agreement, all parties would freeze combat operations for at least five days while ‘an initial 50 or more hostages are released in smaller groups every 24 hours’, the Post reported.
According to the Post, however, it is believed the pause in fighting would allow for a significant increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance, including fuel, to enter from Egypt.
Later, on Saturday, both Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the White House said no deal had been officially reached yet. “No deal yet but we continue to work hard to get a deal,” the White House’s National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
