November 22, 2023 Israel-Hamas war

The United States and Israel will both pause drone flights over Gaza for six hours each day as part of the deal to secure the release of 50 women and children hostages from Gaza, Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer told CNN. 

The US military currently flies surveillance drones over Gaza to support Israel in its efforts to find the hostages. US officials have previously said that the American intelligence being gathered is not used for lethal operations. While the pause in Israeli drone flights had been previously reported, Finer’s comments are the first official confirmation that the US will also be taking part in the pause.

CNN was first to report earlier last week that Hamas demanded that Israel stop flying surveillance drones over Gaza as part of any hostage deal. CNN also reported yesterday that a six-hour pause in drone surveillance was in the deal agreed to between Israel and Hamas.

A defense official confirmed the pause and said the US “will adjust our activities in support of hostage recovery efforts in light of the operational pause agreed to by Israel and Hamas.”

Finer also leaned into the expectation that three Americans could be included in the 50 hostages that are expected to be released as part of the deal, but cautioned that “until we actually see people coming out of Gaza we will not know exactly who is going to be released.”

Looking forward, Finer said that this is “not the end of the war” and that the US will remain “intensively” engaged as he pledged they will not rest until they can secure the release of the other Americans being held hostage.

CNN's MJ Lee and Natasha Bertrand contributed to reporting in this post.

David Barnea, head of Israel's intelligence agency Mossad, is in Doha today, says a source familiar with his meetings.

CNN has previously reported that Barnea and CIA Director Bill Burns met in Doha with the Qataris to discuss the hostage negotiations.

Remember: The complex agreement between Israel and Hamas was brokered by Qatar, which served as an intermediary in exhaustive negotiations with the close involvement of the United States.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has applauded the agreement to release some of the hostages held by Hamas, but called for continued efforts to free those who remain in captivity.

The forum also demanded the terms of the agreement ensure the security and welfare for remaining hostages held by Hamas, including promised visits from the Red Cross.

“We urge leaders’ utmost efforts to meet their moral charge, with people’s lives in the balance. We are grateful for (US) President (Joe) Biden's support this agreement, and his unwavering call for all hostages’ release,” the statement said. 

Remember: Israel and Hamas have agreed to a four-day humanitarian pause to allow the release of at least 50 hostages – women and children – held in Gaza. The deal will also involve the release of 150 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. The vast majority of the prisoners listed as eligible for release are male teenagers aged 16 to 18 – children under the United Nations definition – although a handful are as young as 14. Some 33 are women, according to a CNN count.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed Wednesday the death of 26-year-old Shani Gabay who had been missing since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. 

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group that was formed to provide support to those affected by the crisis, has been listing Gabay among the presumed hostages.

It was not immediately clear whether her remains were identified in Gaza or in Israel.

A total of 284 injured patients have been evacuated into Egypt since Israel launched attacks on Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attack, according to Egyptian government press office director Ayman Walash.

He said a total of 2,222 tons of medical aid had been delivered via the Rafah crossing, in addition to 6,063 tons of food, 4,625 tons of water, and 1,407 tons of other aid. Also, 378 tons of fuel had been delivered since November 21, he said.

The number of foreign nationals and dual nationals who have crossed the border through the Rafah crossing has reached 7,730, he said. This is in addition to 1,102 Egyptians. 

International leaders have welcomed an agreement between Israel and Hamas for a truce, which is slated to come into effect on Thursday morning.

The agreement would see the release of at least 50 hostages seized by Hamas, including women and children, in exchange for a four-day pause in Israel’s air and ground campaign. 150 Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israeli jails as part of the agreement, Hamas said in a statement.

Qatar and Egypt were key negotiators in the agreement, with both countries saying they hope it’s a step toward a ceasefire and a longer-term solution. The US was another main negotiator, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying the deal marked “significant progress,” but vowing the US “will not rest as long as Hamas continues to hold hostages in Gaza.”

Here are other headlines from this morning:

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says the UN will “mobilize all its capabilities” to support the implementation of the Israel-Hamas truce.

“I welcome the agreement reached by Israel & Hamas. It‘s an important step in the right direction, but much more needs to be done. The UN will mobilize all its capacities to support the implementation & maximize positive impact on the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” Guterres said in a statement.

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland also welcomed news of the four-day pause.

He also called for a continuous stream of humanitarian aid and thanked Egypt, Qatar and the US for their efforts in facilitating the agreement.

“All parties must live up to their responsibilities to uphold this important agreement. This is an important step, but more must be done and I will continue all efforts to bring the suffering to an end,” he said.

After enduring nearly seven weeks of uncertainty about the fate of family members kidnapped by Hamas, relatives of hostages were left with hope and a new set of anxieties after Israel and the militant group reached a breakthrough deal on Tuesday that will see a four-day humanitarian pause to allow the release of at least 50 Israeli women and children.

One family told CNN they face a “terrible week” ahead as they wait to learn whether their loved ones will be among the hostages released. “My family, like all the other families, is going to go through a terrible week. We don’t know if my cousin is going to be amongst those released in this round,” Maya Roman, the cousin of a female hostage, told CNN.

On October 7, Roman’s cousin, Yarden Roman-Gat, 36, handed her 3-year-old daughter to her husband, hoping he could run faster as they tried to flee Hamas gunmen. Her husband and child were able to escape, but Yarden has been missing ever since.

While the exact names of the hostages to be released has yet to be publicized by the government, officials say those freed will be Israeli, some of whom have dual nationality. The Israeli military says Hamas is holding roughly 240 hostages in Gaza, including foreign nationals from dozens of countries, who were taken during the October 7 attack.

Among the dual nationals is Abigail Edan, a 3-year-old Israeli American who was orphaned when her parents were killed by Hamas. Liz Hirsh Naftali, Edan’s great-aunt, told CNN about the “excruciating” wait to hear if her great-niece is coming home.

“For our family we have spent the last seven weeks worrying, wondering, praying, hoping,” she said. The family is holding on to hope that Abigail will be one of the first to be released.

Abigail is the youngest American hostage. She has a 6-year-old sister and 10-year-old brother, who saw their parents being murdered on October 7, Naftali said. They hid in a closet for 14 hours, she said.

Read more about the families who are awaiting the release of their loved ones.

The Israel-Hamas truce is slated to begin at 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) on Thursday, an Israeli official told CNN Wednesday.

There is an option for the pause to last as long as 10 days, but Israeli officials believe it is unlikely to last that long.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said when the deal was approved that for every additional 10 hostages who are released, there will be an additional day of a pause in the fighting.