There is a slight delay in the release of the second group of Israeli hostages who were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip on October 7. The process should have begun at 4 p.m.
An unnamed Israeli source quoted in some Hebrew media calls the delay “technical.”
There has been some back-and-forth negotiation over whether 13 or 14 Israelis will be released today, although it is unclear if that is a factor in the delay.
While Israel has said it is expecting 13 hostages, the Israel Prison Service has made preparations for the release of 42 Palestinian prisoners — under the terms of the agreement for a lull in fighting, three prisoners are released for every Israeli hostage.
Channel 12 says the process of the release could begin at 5 p.m. — and notes that yesterday’s release of 13 hostages was also drawn out.
“This is manipulation by [Hamas’s Gaza leader] Yahya Sinwar,” says former hostage negotiator Yaron Blum.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, November 25, 2023
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
