Pax Trumpium: Israel, Hamas Reach Hostage Deal

Via NPR, which you're paying for (as of now) so you might as well read it once in a while:

Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on a multiphase ceasefire that commits them to end the war in Gaza, President Biden and Qatar's prime minister announced separately on Wednesday.

"This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much needed-humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity," Biden said. He said it was the same as a proposal he made in May 2024, which was endorsed by the United Nations Security Council.
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Neither Israel nor Hamas immediately confirmed the deal, but officials close to the negotiations told NPR that both sides have reached a tentative ceasefire intended to end more than 15 months of the heaviest fighting ever between the two sides.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there remained "several unresolved points," but hoped "the details will be finalized tonight."

The deal comes after weeks of intensive rounds of indirect negotiations in the Qatari capital Doha between Israel and Hamas, mediated by facilitators from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar. In an unusual twist, envoys from both President Biden's administration and President-elect Donald Trump's team were also there, pressuring the sides to close a deal.

A French account I follow, @lauhaim, says the terms are the following. I don't know where he's getting this, but the number seem to check out.

To begin tomorrow:

I think that's wrong right off the bat. NPR says it starts Sunday. But then, NPR is more likely to be wrong, I guess.

Six weeks of ceasefire.

A progressive withdrawal by the Israeli army from the Gaza strip

Six hundred humanitarian trucks will enter the Gaza strip

Hamas will liberate 33 Israeli hostages.

Here's why I think this guy's post is mostly accurate: He explains why 1,300 Palestinian terrorists are being liberated, as far as how the number was arrived at.

Israel will free 30 Palestinian (terrorist) prisoner in exchange for each civilian released and 50 for each Israeli soldier released

I think I read that 23 hostages will be released alive. The other ten hostages being "released" are corpses.

Trump gets a lot of the credit, or the blame, for this deal, depending on how you view it.

Scott Jennings @ScottJenningsKY

Bottom line: without Trump winning and being absolutely clear in his "hell to pay" rhetoric, there would be no hostage deal today between Israel & Hamas. Thank God we are getting our people back. Elections have consequences.

Posted by: redridinghood

Below, some people are sour on the deal:

Apparently Israeli agreed to an exchange for 33 living hostages -- but Hamas changed the wording to 33 "living or bodies" released.

Rabid feral dogs must be put down.

I wouldn't put too much stock in the Palestinians celebrating. Yes, of course they're happy that they won't be getting hunted by Israel for a while. But that would happen with any ceasefire or deal. While I would like Israel to literally kill every single Hamas member, it must always be remembered that perfect justice can only be obtained if you're willing to fight your enemy to the last man. And that perfect justice will never be achieved, because while you're killing the guilty, the guilty are also killing your soldiers.

Truces are never made between friends. They're made between enemies, often bitter ones.

Israel has achieved remarkable things with this anti-terror campaign, and, thinking about the Pareto Principle, I'd say they've gotten 80% of the military achievements they sought. Getting that last 20% would take 80% of the work, and take years and maybe hundreds of more dead Israelis.

I'm not sold on the truce but I wouldn't scoff at it just because it lets Hamas off the hook. That's what a truce does -- it lets your enemy off the hook.

It also lets you stop fighting, which I have to imagine that many Israelis will be happy for after fifteen months of warfare.

I hope that this will pave the way for more important gains in security and peace.

Meanwhile:

posted by Ace at 04:28 PM

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