Hamas releases third group of hostages as US expresses hope of truce extension

[CharlieH]

 

Israel frees more prisoners in exchange but insists its military campaign in Gaza is far from over

• Israel-Hamas war – live updates

 

 

The third exchange of hostages and prisoners between Hamas and Israel has taken place as the US expressed hope that a fragile four-day truce in Gaza would be extended beyond Monday, while Israel indicated its campaign was far from over.

Israel said 17 hostages were released by Hamas, including a Russian national and three Thai nationals. The Israelis were all women or children. Thirty-nine Palestinian prisoners, also women and children, were freed from Israeli jails, authorities said.

 

The day brought several powerfully emotional moments, with the release from Gaza of a girl orphaned in Hamas’s attack in Israel last month and aid finally reaching the north of Gaza, which has been devastated by Israeli bombardment.

Joe Biden welcomed the release of four-year-old Abigail Edan, a US-Israeli dual national, and said he would like to “see the pause go on as long as prisoners are getting released”.

The US president added that his administration would “continue to remain personally engaged to see that this deal is fully implemented and work to extend the deal as well”.

 

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[Hawaiian]

Let's be optimistic that everything goes as agreed upon. However, knowing how Hamas operates I wouldn't hold your breath.

[Bkk Brian]

After 50 days, the terrorists are claiming they don't know where all the hostages are.

 

Qatar's prime minister says that more than 40 women and children held hostage in Gaza are not believed to be held by Hamas.

“We don’t yet have any clear information how many they can find because . . . one of the purposes [of the pause] is they [Hamas] will have time to search for the rest of the missing people.”

https://twitter.com/AvivaKlompas/status/1728905392992743858

 

[Morch]

52 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

After 50 days, the terrorists are claiming they don't know where all the hostages are.

 

Qatar's prime minister says that more than 40 women and children held hostage in Gaza are not believed to be held by Hamas.

“We don’t yet have any clear information how many they can find because . . . one of the purposes [of the pause] is they [Hamas] will have time to search for the rest of the missing people.”

https://twitter.com/AvivaKlompas/status/1728905392992743858

 

 

It's actually not unreasonable.

 

Not all of the kidnappers were Hamas men - some were PIJ, some private 'entrepreneurs' (Hamas promised to pay a nice sum for each hostage brought in) that came on the second/third mob wave rather than the main invasion force.

 

Given Israeli bombing campaign went in full gear pretty shortly afterwards, Hamas not being in full control of things, communications broken and so on, it could very well be that they either do not know, or 'lost' some of the hostages held.

 

Considers that on the Israeli side as well, some people thought to be kidnapped turned out to have died (and vice versa), some bodies of Hamas men/Gazans killed on Israeli soil mistaken for Israeli casualties, and so on.

 

A good indication of Hamas not being fully in charge or in control of things would be their recent claims about aid trucks not reaching north Gaza (which turned out to be wrong).

 

All of this doesn't not absolve Hamas of responsibility for the safety and well-being of the hostages.

 

For all of the attempts to play it cool (and Sinwar is good at that), they're on the run, and are being (slowly, but methodically) being driven to a corner.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 11/27/2023 at 2:08 PM, CharlieH said:

The third exchange of hostages and prisoners between Hamas and Israel has taken place as the US expressed hope that a fragile four-day truce in Gaza would be extended beyond Monday

If the US ( ie Biden ) wanted a truce extension, they are in a position to make it so. That they don't "insist" on it, makes one wonder if the US has any influence over netanyahu, despite funding the israelis, arming the israelis and providing political cover for their excessive and disproportional activities that are condemned by many countries around the planet.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 11/27/2023 at 3:19 PM, Hawaiian said:

Let's be optimistic that everything goes as agreed upon. However, knowing how Hamas operates I wouldn't hold your breath.

Some of us also know how Israel operates, so that goes both ways.

 

 

[Morch]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If the US ( ie Biden ) wanted a truce extension, they are in a position to make it so. That they don't "insist" on it, makes one wonder if the US has any influence over netanyahu, despite funding the israelis, arming the israelis and providing political cover for their excessive and disproportional activities that are condemned by many countries around the planet.

 

@thaibeachlovers

 

Unlike yourself, Biden is obviously neither a Hamas supporter, nor an Israel hater.

[Morch]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Some of us also know how Israel operates, so that goes both ways.

 

 

 

@thaibeachlovers

 

Do tell, as you imply you're in the know.