WASHINGTON (AP) —A senior Biden administration official says two Americans, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Keith Siegel, are expected to be released in the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement. The ceasefire is set to begin Sunday and last for six weeks.
The U.S. official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing efforts to get the hostages home.
There’s a least one other known living American captive in Gaza, an Israeli soldier named Edan Alexander, who will be released at a later date in the second phase of the agreement, the official said.
It’s not clear how many of the hostages are still alive.
Netanyahu says 'last minute crisis' with Hamas holding up approval of Gaza truce and hostage deal
A “last minute crisis” with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a long-awaited agreement to pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed dozens of people across the war-ravaged territory.
Netanyahu’s office said his Cabinet won’t meet to approve the agreement until Hamas backs down, accusing it of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt to gain further concessions.
A look at the Gaza ceasefire deal that mediators say has been reached
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Any deal still needs to be approved by Israel’s Cabinet, although they’ll likely say yes. If the deal is adopted, it will unfold in three phases:
Phase one starts Sunday, according to mediator Qatar. Here’s what’s involved:
- A six-week halt to fighting would begin, opening negotiations on ending the war.
- Thirty-three of the nearly 100 hostages would be released over that period, although it’s unclear if more than half are alive.
- The United States says this phase also includes a withdrawal of Israeli forces from densely populated areas of Gaza. That would allow many displaced Palestinians to return to what’s left of their homes. Many neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble.
- Humanitarian assistance would surge, with hundreds of trucks entering Gaza each day.
- Final details that are still being worked out include the list of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to be freed.
Phase two is harder. Here are the details:
- Negotiations for this phase are to begin on Day 16 of the ceasefire.
- This phase would include the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers.
- Israeli forces would withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
- However, Israel has said it will not agree to a complete withdrawal until Hamas’ military and political capabilities are eliminated.
- Hamas says it will not hand over the last hostages until Israel removes all its troops.
Phase three calls for the return of the remaining bodies of hostages still in Gaza and the start of a major reconstruction in Gaza, which faces decades of rebuilding. It’s also unclear who will foot the bill.