Israel approves deal to release Palestinian prisoners and pause military action in exchange for dozens of hostages



The Israeli Cabinet agreed to a deal with authorities in the Gaza Strip for the release of dozens of hostages in exchange for a pause in military action and the release of Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

The deal was mediated by Qatari officials and included two phases.

The first phase involves Hamas releasing about 50 women and children being held hostage in Gaza. Israel will pause military action in Gaza by four days and release about 150 Palestinian prisoners, also mostly women and children, during that pause.

The second phase would include Hamas releasing more children, women, and elderly hostages in exchange for Israel extending the military pause for several days.

Israel will also allow 300 aid trucks to enter Gaza from Egypt on a daily basis.

About 240 hostages were abducted during an invasion from Gaza into southern Israel where 1,200 were slaughtered by terrorists. U.S. officials have confirmed that at least 20 of the hostages were American citizens.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated the the war would continue after the military pause "until Hamas is destroyed, all the hostages are released and there is nobody in Gaza who can threaten Israel."

He also thanked President Joe Biden and said that he had helped make the hostage deal less costly.

"It was improved so that it will include more hostages for a lower cost," Netanyahu said. "President Biden helped and I thank him for that."

An Israeli official said that they would not be releasing any Palestinian prisoner who had been convicted of killing Israelis. There also will be a 24-hour period where the families of the Israeli victims of Hamas can appeal the hostage release to the Supreme Court.

Here's more about the hostage deal:

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Ilhan Omar responds to report that terrorist rocket misfire landed on Gaza hospital after she blamed Israel



Socialist Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota responded on Wednesday to reports that a Palestinian rocket misfire had landed on a hospital in Gaza after she initially blamed Israel.

Omar was among the many Democrats and media members who regurgitated the accusation against Israel and the claim that 500 people died as a result of the supposed attack.

After being lambasted on social media, Omar responded by saying only that an independent investigation was necessary to determine the truth of the matter.

"Our office cited an AP report yesterday that the IDF had hit a Baptist hospital in Gaza. Since then, the IDF denied responsibility and the US intelligence assessment is that this was not done by Israel," wrote Omar on social media Wednesday.

"It is a reminder that information is often unreliable and disputed in the fog of war (especially on Twitter where misinformation is rampant). We all have a responsibility to ensure information we are sharing is from credible sources and to acknowledge as new reports come in," she added.

"It is critical that we have a fully independent investigation to determine conclusively who is responsible for this war crime," Omar concluded.

President Joe Biden cited U.S. intelligence and confirmed that the Palestinians were responsible for the rocket and not the Israelis.

Israel cited a video recording it obtained of two Hamas officials that appeared to reference the failed rocket launch. Video of the explosion also appears to support the contention that it was a misfire from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza rather than an attack from Israel.

"The entire world should know: It was barbaric terrorists in Gaza that attacked the hospital in Gaza, and not the IDF," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "Those who brutally murdered our children also murder their own children."

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) was also criticized for promoting the propaganda from Hamas about the explosion at the hospital.

Here's more about the incident:

Israeli investigators report Islamic jihad rocket misfired and killed hundreds at hospital www.youtube.com

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