Israeli UN envoy says Gaza ceasefire deal could be similar to 2023 truce

Israel’s representative to the UN: “We hope to have news before the Hanukkah and Christmas holidays”

Dec. 18 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Israel’s representative to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has stated that the ceasefire being negotiated with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) for the Gaza Strip these days and that would allow the release of hostages could be similar to the truce. reached between the parties in November of last year.

“We hope that (the release) will be in one stage because we want to see all the hostages back home, but it may not be in one stage. It will be similar to what we saw in the past more than a year ago with a halt in fire in which at the same time the hostages are released,” Dannon said in statements from New York.

The objective, therefore, would be “fundamentally the humanitarian aspect”, as well as the release of sick and elderly hostages. “We hope to be able to reach an agreement. After many denials from Hamas, we hope to have news before the Hanukkah and Christmas holidays,” he added.

However, Israel’s envoy to the UN has been cautious about this possible schedule. “Because of our experience, I cannot be certain (that it will be achieved). Because in the past we have had negotiations, we thought we had agreements and they came up with new demands with new names of prisoners to be released,” he concluded.

The November 2023 agreement established the objective of releasing 50 hostages held in Gaza in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners, although it was extended for several more days thanks to the action of the mediators and more than a hundred of those kidnapped by the Palestinian militias, as well as almost 250 prisoners.

Hamas assaulted southern Israel on October 7, 2023, leaving 1,200 Israelis dead and 240 hostages, prompting Israeli authorities to launch an offensive against the enclave that has claimed the lives of 45,100 Palestinians. Additionally, around 800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and in settler attacks since then in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.