Meeting PMs of Spain, Belgium, Herzog says Israel in ‘critical hours’ before hostage deal
Amy Spiro is a reporter and writer with The Times of Israel
Meeting with the prime ministers of Belgium and Spain, President Isaac Herzog says Israel is facing “critical hours” ahead of slated hostage release.
Alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Herzog says, “These are critical hours. We are waiting and praying for the return of the first group of hostages and the entry into the ceasefire that was agreed between Israel and Qatar, and Qatar and Hamas, under the auspices of the United States of America.”
Herzog tells the European leaders that “we want to give hope to the families who are going through hell, for them to see the young babies, children and adults, women, coming back home with the aim of seeing all of them come back home. But for that, we need to make sure that Hamas adheres to the strict rules of the agreement, and these are the exact details that are being discussed right now.”
The president also says that Israel is “taking major steps to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza together with the United Nations, with Arab countries,” noting the hope to see “the introduction of field hospitals, and further supply of necessary food and medicine, and of course make sure that the humanitarian corridor from north to south will supply the needs of the people who are moving, the uninvolved civilians, who are moving from north to south.”
According to the president’s office, Sanchez says that Spain “shares in Israel’s pain and sorrow” and welcomes the “agreement that will allow for the release of some of the hostages and establishment of the humanitarian pause.” De Croo says Belgium “stands on your side” and says he hopes the nascent deal “will lead to the liberation of hostages.”
