TEL AVIV, Israel
Israel is prepared for a
second pause in the fighting with Hamas in exchange for the release of more of
the hostages held in Gaza, President Isaac Herzog told a group of ambassadors
from some 80 countries on Tuesday.President Isaac Herzog meets with a group of foreign ambassadors at his Jerusalem residence on December 19, 2023.
In lieu of a traditional New
Year reception, which was canceled against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing war
with the Hamas terror group, which rules the Gaza Strip, Herzog hosted
ambassadors and members of the Diplomatic Corps representing more than 80 countries
for a briefing on the situation in Israel and Gaza.
During the briefing, he told
the ambassadors that Israel is ready to pursue a second hostage exchange deal
after the one carried out in late November, and placed an emphasis on Israel’s
humanitarian efforts, his office said.
“I want to thank member states
and leaders for leading the objective of releasing the hostages as soon as
possible,” he said to those in attendance.
“Any effort that your states,
your leaders, your media, and your diplomatic input can help in pressing on
various countries who are involved in this saga is vital. First and foremost,
we must remember that there are dozens of humanitarian cases within the group
of hostages – such as babies, the elderly, sick, wounded, and, of course, many
women.”
Herzog continued, “I can
reiterate the fact that Israel is ready for another humanitarian pause and
additional humanitarian aid in order to enable the release of hostages. And the
responsibility lies fully with [Hamas’s Gaza chief Yahya] Sinwar and the leadership
of Hamas.”
Of the 240 hostages seized by
Hamas during the terror group’s murderous rampage through southern Israel on
October 7, it is believed that 129 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive —
after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce
in late November.
Four hostages were released
prior to that, and one was rescued by troops. The bodies of eight hostages have
also been recovered, as were the bodies of three
hostages who were mistakenly killed by the military.
The Israel Defense Forces has
also confirmed the deaths of 21 of those still held by Hamas, citing new
intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza.
Following the deaths of the
three hostages at the hands of IDF troops in Gaza last week, several reports on
Saturday night indicated that Israel was looking to boost efforts to reach a
new hostage deal with Hamas.
Herzog also urged
international organizations to do more to facilitate the delivery of assistance
into Gaza.
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