---
title: "Israel approves hostage deal and pause in war with Hamas"
description: "Israel’s cabinet has approved a deal with Hamas that will free about 50 hostages in return for a four-day pause in fighting, the prime minister’s office said."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Bloomberg"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/bloomberg/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-11-22-israel-approves-hostage-deal-and-pause-in-war-with-hamas/"
published: "2023-11-22T04:10:25"
updated: "2023-11-22T07:34:26"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 238
---

# Israel approves hostage deal and pause in war with Hamas

> Israel’s cabinet has approved a deal with Hamas that will free about 50 hostages in return for a four-day pause in fighting, the prime minister’s office said.

By Bloomberg · Published 22 November 2023, 06:10 SAST · Updated 22 November 2023, 09:34 SAST

## Key points
- Qatar is mediating a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, with the release of Israeli women and children held in Gaza expected to be followed by the freeing of Palestinian prisoners, mostly women and minors.
- Hamas to free Israeli women and children held in Gaza.
- Israel to release 150 Palestinian prisoners in return.
- Over next 24 hours, names of Palestinian prisoners set to be released will be made public.
- Netanyahu: War will continue until all objectives are achieved.

## Content

In the first stage of the deal mediated by Qatar, Hamas is expected to free Israeli women and children held in Gaza. Israel is expected to release about 150 Palestinian prisoners, mostly women and minors in return, Axios reported earlier.

In a second stage of the deal, Hamas would release more women and children in return for Israel prolonging the pause by several days, according to the government statement.

Over the next 24 hours, the names of the Palestinian prisoners set to be released will be made public so that Israelis can appeal to the courts against their being freed, Axios reported. It cited an unidentified Israeli official who briefed reporters earlier Tuesday.

In its statement, Israel’s government said the war to free more hostages and eliminate Hamas would continue.

“There is nonsense out there as if after the pause in fighting, we will stop the war,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of the cabinet meeting.

“We are at war and we will continue it until we achieve all the objectives,” Netanyahu added. “We will eliminate Hamas, return all the hostages and guarantee that there will be no element in Gaza that threatens Israel.”

Qatar is helping broker the talks between Israel and Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said the negotiations are at a critical stage.

**Read the latest developments here:**[Israel-Palestine War](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/middle-east-crisis-news-hub/)