Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a "last-minute crisis" with Hamas is holding up the ceasefire agreement that would release hostages.
Ayman Mohyeldin of MSNBC has raised concerns over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s motivations in securing a recent ceasefire and hostage release agreement. On the network’s “Alex Wagner Tonight,” Mohyeldin suggested that Netanyahu may have delayed the deal intentionally, positioning it for strategic leverage with the Trump administration, rather than aiding U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in building political momentum during an election year.
Hamas leader Khalil al-Haya reportedly pledged another attack similar to the October 7 massacre during a press conference Wednesday, shortly after a tentative ceasefire agreement was announced.
Hamas has agreed to a proposed ceasefire draft and the release of dozens of hostages as negotiations with Israel progress, according to officials involved in the talks.
Efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza have seen limited progress, according to Palestinian sources involved in the negotiations.
Intelligence sources from the U.S. and Israel estimate that only about 20 of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, remain alive. This figure, shared during ongoing negotiations in Qatar, includes civilians and female Israeli soldiers but excludes male soldiers, whose inclusion might slightly increase the count.
The Biden administration is reallocating over $100 million in military aid originally earmarked for Israel and Egypt to Lebanon. The funding aims to support the implementation of a ceasefire agreement brokered between Israel and Hezbollah. The State Department outlined the plan in notices sent to Congress on January 3.
