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Israel-Hamas hostage deal delayed until Friday, Israeli official says
The start of a short-term cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that will allow for the release of some hostages held in Gaza, the release of Palestinians being held by Israel and for more humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip has been delayed until Friday, an Israeli official said.
“The contacts on the release of our hostages are advancing and continuing constantly. The start of the release will take place according to the original agreement between the sides, and not before Friday,” Israeli National Security Council Director Tzachi Hanegbi said Wednesday in a statement.
The release of hostages, along with a four-day cease-fire, was originally set to begin Thursday morning. A spokesperson for the National Security Council stressed that the delay did not indicate the deal was in peril.
“The deal was agreed and remains agreed. The parties are working out final logistical details, particularly for the first day of implementation,” Adrienne Watson, the NSC spokesperson, said in a statement. “It is our view that nothing should be left to chance as the hostages begin coming home. Our primary objective is to ensure that they are brought home safely. That is on track and we are hopeful that implementation will begin on Friday morning.”
According to the terms of the deal, Hamas will release 50 hostages, all women and children, over the course of four days. Three Palestinian prisoners held by Israel will be released for every Israeli hostage released by Hamas. President Biden said three Americans are among those expected to be released by Hamas. One of the American hostages is a three-year-old girl, the only American child being held by Hamas, but it was not immediately clear if she would be part of the initial release.
There is a possibility more could be released by both sides.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that “the release of every additional ten hostages will result in one additional day in the pause.”
If the first phase of the hostage release goes as planned, roughly 20 more hostages will be released by Hamas and the pause in fighting would be extended.
Israel has said Hamas militants seized about 240 hostages during their Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed. Four hostages had been released before Wednesday’s deal was announced, and another, an Israeli soldier, was rescued by her Israel Defense Forces troops in Gaza. Israel also said two hostages were found dead near the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza last week.
An operation center is expected to be set up in Doha, Qatar, to monitor the hostage transfers. The Qatari government, along with Egypt, was instrumental in helping plan and negotiate the deal.
The neutral International Committee of the Red Cross is expected to take custody of the hostages from Hamas in Gaza and hand them over to the Israel Defense Forces.
Oded Balilty / AP
A source familiar with the talks told CBS News that most of the Palestinian prisoners who are released will live in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, though some did come from Gaza.
During the pause in fighting, aid will be allowed into the Gaza Strip, with 300 trucks per day carrying supplies, including cooking oil for bakeries and fuel for hospitals, a source familiar with the talks told CBS News.
Prior to a Wednesday meeting of Israel’s war cabinet to discuss the hostage deal, Netanyahu stressed in a statement that the pause would not mean an end to the war.
“There is a lot of nonsense out there to the effect that after the pause to return our hostages, we will stop the war. Then let me make it clear: We are at war — and will continue the war,” he said. “We will continue the war until we achieve all of our war aims: To eliminate Hamas, return all of our hostages and our missing, and ensure that there is no element in Gaza that threatens Israel.”
— Margaret Brennan, Kathryn Watson and Tucker Reals contributed reporting.
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
CBS Philadelphia
Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.
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