Red Cross to receive 50 hostages with dual citizenships held by Hamas – report

<p>I don't know this source, so handle it carefully but i24news.tv <a href="https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1698079156-sources-to-i24news-details-finalizing-in-the-last-hour-for-the-potential-releasing-of-hostages" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">reports </a>that 50 hostages (of the roughly 212 held) will be released. A separate report from KAN TV reports that hostages will be released as well, but doesn't cite a number. Earlier, Al Arabiya also <a href="https://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Brk/status/1716487694333653175" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">reported </a>on a hostage release.</p><p>You have to wonder if this is a sign of goodwill or is in exchange for something else.</p><p>In any case, any de-escalation is good news and you can see that in the oil market as it falls $2.24 today.</p><p>On the flipside, Axios reports that a three-star US general was deployed to advise Israel. That's not the kind of thing you do when you're scaling back plans for an incursion.</p><p>Update: Two hostages were released subsequent to this report and a State Dept spokesman said "I've seen those reports. I can't confirm them." That's not exactly encouraging.</p><p>Update: The report is that the people released are two elderly women.</p>

This article was written by Adam Button at www.forexlive.com.