Washington, Oct. 9 (LaPresse/AP) – The Israeli ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, told CNN that the hostages still alive and held by Hamas will be released on Sunday or Monday, with a 72-hour deadline granted to the Palestinian organization to carry out the release starting from the moment the Israeli cabinet meets—this afternoon or evening—to approve the list of Palestinian prisoners to be freed under the agreement.
Leiter said that Israel hopes the deal will lead to the end of the war, but that this will depend on how it is implemented. “We hope it will lead to the complete cessation of hostilities and the reconstruction of Gaza, for the sake of its inhabitants and for the sake of Israel,” he said, noting that “this is only the first phase” and that “in the coming days we will have to see whether it will be fully implemented.”
Leiter, whose eldest son was killed in the war while serving in the Israeli armed forces, credited Israeli military pressure for bringing Hamas to the negotiating table after two years of conflict.
Gaza, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.: “Hostage release between Sunday and Monday”
