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  • 11/22/2023
An agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas to release at least 50 women and children currently being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for a brief pause in fighting and the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners.
Transcript
00:00 >>The Prime Minister We welcome the agreement reached overnight.
00:04 As I said, this is something that we have consistently pushed for and is a crucial first
00:09 step as we try to resolve this situation and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Of course,
00:16 we want to see all hostages released as quickly as possible, including British nationals,
00:20 and I urge all parties involved to deliver the agreement in full. I would also like to
00:25 give a record of my thanks to Qatar for their important role, and we will continue to work
00:30 with the United States and Israel to ensure the safe return of hostages and maximise the
00:35 opportunity of this temporary pause to step up aid to suffering civilians in Gaza. It
00:40 is something that we have pushed for, we have continued to do, and the UK is playing a leading
00:44 role in delivering.
00:45 >>Mr. Yusuf Suleiman We wholeheartedly welcome the agreement reached
00:50 on the release of the 50 hostages and on the pause of hostilities. We stress at the same
00:58 time the urgent need for all hostages to be released immediately, and we will work with
01:05 our humanitarian partners to use the pause for a humanitarian surge in Gaza. Ensuring
01:11 adequate humanitarian access will also require putting in place urgent and extended humanitarian
01:18 pauses throughout Gaza and for a sufficient number of days, as called for last week by
01:26 the United Nations Security Council in its Resolution 2712, which was facilitated by
01:31 Malta. We hope that the agreement on a pause of hostilities that has just been reached
01:38 will allow for a substantial surge in humanitarian aid delivery into and within Gaza, and we
01:46 certainly hope that this will not be a one-off.
01:48 >>Ms. Catherine Fletcher This is an important and necessary step, but
01:53 what we must ultimately work towards is a long-term enduring peace. And I again reiterate
01:59 that a long-term enduring peace requires a two-state solution, with Israelis and Palestinians
02:05 living securely and prosperously within internationally recognised borders. Australia has been working
02:11 with countries that have influence in the region to help protect and support civilians,
02:16 to help prevent the conflict from spreading, and to reinforce the need for the just and
02:21 enduring peace that all of us want.
02:24 Look, I think we would all want to see a sustainable ceasefire, but we also know that cannot be
02:30 one-sided. And we recognise that the steps that have been taken today with this agreement
02:37 that has been negotiated is progress towards these goals. But I want to say this, we remain
02:43 deeply concerned about the loss of civilian life. And I know so many Australians are deeply
02:50 concerned about the loss of civilian life. People are distressed about the horrific attack
02:57 by Hamas. People want the hostages released, and people are distressed by the loss of civilian
03:03 life in the period we have seen in these last weeks.
03:06 "The situation of insecurity and instability in the Western Asian region is a matter of
03:13 concern for all of us. Today, our coming together is a sign that we are all sensitive to the
03:20 issues and are standing together for their solution."
03:25 "It is a positive development that the four-day humanitarian break and the agreement on the
03:39 exchange of hostages and prisoners, albeit in limited numbers, has been reached. We expect
03:47 this step to be our priority and to be a permanent fire and a means of peace that we expect to
03:57 be established as soon as possible."

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