Israel tells US there is 'a chance' of agreement for release of hostages held in Gaza Strip

“We hope for the release of all the hostages, including American citizens,” the Israeli Defense Minister told his American counterpart on Wednesday.

The Israeli Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, assured his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin, on Wednesday, December 11, that there was currently “a chance” agreed to the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. “We hope for the release of all hostages, including American citizens”he added during a telephone call, according to a press release from his office.

For more than a year, the United States, Egypt and Qatar have been trying to negotiate a ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. In recent days, several signs seem to go without this meaning. One came from Qatar, which said Saturday that the November election of U.S. President Donald Trump, who takes office in January, had created a new “élan” for negotiations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also gave a sign of hope by telling the families of hostages that Israel's military successes against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas would facilitate negotiations for their release. Since the start of the war in Gaza, a single truce has emerged in November 2023 and allowed the release of more than 100 hostages, taken to Gaza during the Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.