‘Last minute details over hostages’ behind agonising delay in Israel-Hamas truce – as David Cameron visits massacre site

THE crucial agreement to release 50 Israeli hostages trapped in Gaza has been delayed over “last minute” details between Israel and Hamas.

A pause in the brutal fighting has also been agreed but the exact date is yet to be confirmed as Foreign Secretary David Cameron made his way to war torn Israel.

APThe crucial agreement to release 50 Israeli hostages trapped in Gaza has been delayed over “last minute” details between Israel and Hamas[/caption]

ReutersForeign Secretary David Cameron is in Israel visiting massacre sites left in ruins after constant Hamas attacks[/caption]

Emily Hand, 9, is one of the child hostages expected to be freed in the coming daysAP

Cameron was seen in pictures visiting the devastated Kibbutz Be’eri area near the Gaza border that was ripped apart in the October 7 massacre.

A Palestinian official said on Thursday that a delay in the start of the agreed truce between Israeli forces and Hamas was due to “last minute” details over what hostages would be given back and how the deal would happen, according to AFP.

Under the agreement around 12 hostages are set to be released per day in phases and it’s understood Hamas has agreed to release women and children.

Israel’s national security adviser made it clear the first hostages to be freed will won’t take place until Friday at the earliest.

This came after Israeli media reported this week that the first group of hostages was expected to be released today before this latest agonising issue.

Earlier this week, Hamas’ leader Ismail Haniyeh and the Israeli Prime Ministers cabinet made an agreement to stop fighting for a four-day period and to have 50 hostages released.

A total of 240 hostages are being held in Gaza, including around 40 children, according to the Israeli Embassy.

One of these children is Emily Hand, 9, who is expected to be one of the hostages freed and returned home to her heartbroken father.

Her devastated family threw her an emotional birthday party last week, as her dad broke down in tears and said he’s praying for the return of his daughter.

Following weeks of negotiations facilitated by Qatar as a mediator, the Israeli Prime Minister’s cabinet gave its approval for the truce after an almost all-night session.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister conveyed to others that it was a “difficult decision but it’s a right decision.”

However, Binyamin Netanyahu remained steadfast in affirming that Israel’s mission remains unchanged, asserting that the offensive will resume once the ceasefire period ends.

He said: “We are at war and we will continue the war until we achieve all our goals.

“To destroy Hamas, return all our hostages, and ensure that no entity in Gaza can threaten Israel.”

For every 10 hostages released, the extension of the lull will be prolonged by an extra day, however female IDF soldiers captured are not believed to be part of the deal.

In exchange, around 150 Palestinian women and children will be freed from Israeli prisons at a ratio of 3:1, Sky News reports.

Israel has released a list of 300 Palestinian prisoners who could be released as part of the deal.

The majority are teenagers arrested over the past year for a string of minor offences.

The agreement states: “Immediately after the end of the pause in fighting needed to secure the release of the hostages, fighting will resume in the Gaza Strip in order to destroy the military and organisational capabilities of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza and to create the conditions for the return of all the hostages.”

Humanitarian aid will also be allowed to enter all areas of the Gaza Strip.

Qatar’s foreign ministry confirmed the deal, saying that “a number of Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons” would be released in exchange for the hostages.

Qatar’s foreign ministry stated that the starting time of the truce would be “announced within the next 24 hours and last for four days, subject to extension,” but nothing has been confirmed yet after further delays.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron welcomed the truce which he described as a “crucial step” and urged both sides to deliver the deal in full.

Lord Cameron – who recently made a remarkable comeback to politics – is visiting Israel and going to see the devastation left behind at massacre sites before reportedly meeting with Israel and Palestine officials.

He said in a statement before his important trip: “This agreement is a crucial step towards providing relief to the families of the hostages and addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

“I urge all parties to ensure the agreement is delivered in full. Of course, we want to see all hostages released immediately and families affected by the horrors of the October 7th terror attack reunited.

“The UK will continue to work with all partners in the region to secure the release of all hostages, restore security, and reach a long-term political solution which enables both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace.”

Hamas released a statement welcoming the “humanitarian truce”, but noted that “our hands remain on the trigger.”

GettyCameron has gone to Kibbutz Be’eri to look at the devastation left after the October 7, massacre[/caption]

TwitterBipin Joshi is one of the hostages who isn’t expected to be released straight away as Israel have asked for women and children to be freed first[/caption]

GettyTel Aviv’s Museum of Modern Art showing the hostages still trapped in Gaza[/caption]

ReutersYocheved Lifshitz, 85, was released by Hamas militants in October as one of the first to be freed[/caption]

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