Biden: We are very close to concluding a hostage agreement in Gaza

Biden:

We are very close to

concluding a hostage agreement in Gaza

On Tuesday

US President Joe Biden announced that an agreement on

the release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip was very imminent.

Biden said from the White House:

"We are very close" to an agreement, and "we will be able to

return some of these hostages to their families very soon."

The Israeli prime minister

Benjamin Netanyahu

said on Tuesday afternoon that there had been progress

on the issue of the return of hostages held

by Hamas since the October 7 attack.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari stated that hostage

 negotiations were at the "nearest point" to reaching

 an agreement since its inception.

The head of Hamas' political bureau

Ismail Haniyeh

said at dawn on Tuesday that "the movement has handed its response to the brothers in Qatar and the mediators, and we are approaching reaching the armistice agreement."

White House: Hamas launch of hostages could

take hours or days after agreement reached

White House

strategic communications coordinator John Kirby announced that

the release of some hostages by Hamas could take

"hours, if not days" after an agreement is reached.

Kirby said the United States expected 

some hostages to be "in a very bad state."

"I think we all need to be prepared because their release can take hours, if not days," he added, stressing that "the most important concern for the United States is the safety and security of hostages held by Hamas."

US President Joe Biden

announced earlier on Tuesday that an agreement on

the release of hostages held by

Hamas in the Gaza Strip was very imminent.

We are very close" to the agreement

and "we will be able to return some of

these hostages to their families very soon."

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on

Tuesday afternoon that there had been progress on the issue of

the return of hostages held by Hamas since the October 7 attack.

The head of Hamas' political bureau

Ismail Haniyeh, said at dawn on Tuesday that

"the movement has handed its response to the brothers in Qatar

and the mediators

and we are approaching reaching the armistice agreement.

Citing its sources

CNN revealed a possible draft agreement between Israel

and Hamas, which includes a 4 to 5-day temporary moratorium on

fighting for the initial release of 50 hostages

and possibly further interruptions thereafter.

He said:

"I will not confirm the authenticity of the details that

have emerged in the media, and I will not look at them publicly.

Obviously

we are doing our best, and we have great hopes.

But I will not say at this sensitive time anything that

would increase the risk to the deal.

The United States did not have accurate information about the number of

hostages held by Hamas, noting that other groups

than Hamas were also holding a number of hostages.

US President Joe Biden

had spoken of the proximity of an agreement between Israel

and Hamas on the release of a number of detainees.

The Israeli cabinet met on Tuesday evening to discuss

the possible deal and approve it once and for all.