01-27-25 YMS National Correspondent RORY O’NEILL with the latest on the hostage situations in Israel.

National Correspondent RORY O’NEILL with the latest on the hostage situations in Israel.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Previously on your morning show with Michael dil Chuno.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Roy O'Neill is joining us. Rory, just as we were
getting ready to have this conversation, I'm watching I don't
have the sound up, but Fox is up on a
television in the studio. I can't get enough seeing these
released hossages reuniting with their family. Give us the very
latest time where we stand in the hostage situation.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
Yeah, we saw four female Israeli soldiers released over the weekend.
In exchange, Israel released two hundred Palestinian prisoners. More than
half of them had been sentenced to life sentences. So
a significant disparity there, But not the first time and
probably not the last time we've seen that. And we
are expecting more hostage releases in the week ahead, perhaps

(00:42):
six more, three by midweek, and then three again this weekend.
We might also see the return of a North Carolina
native as part of this next hostage release.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
I was just going to say, what about Americans coming
home and how many do we think are still alive?
The same could be said for the Israeli hostages. How
many do we think of I mean, we're seeing them
the numbers, because if you've got four females and it
had cost you two hundred Palestinian prisoners. I mean, I

(01:14):
can do the quick math, and that's like fifty to one,
which has been a little bit under what you have
to give to get a female hostage back. But so
how many more can we expect? And then before we've
probably exhausted what hostages are alive? Do we have any
kind of read on that yet?

Speaker 3 (01:29):
Well, we think there are still seven hostages American hostages
being held by hamas, So this could be the release
of one. We don't know the health status or whether
or not they're dead or alive, on so many others,
and all this information tends to be a little bit
wobbily until it's actually time for a release to happen.
So these are some of the best guesses that we have.

(01:52):
We also have not yet seen them turn over any
remains of those who have been killed or died while
in custody. I think that's something else we're anger just
to see, because you know, once the body comes back,
there may be an autopsy, perhaps get an understanding as
to how that person died. That could really be something
that causes this whole temporary ceasefire to fall apart.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Do we have any idea of what the Trump administration
is feeling about how slow US hossages are coming or
are they just kind of letting it play out because
they don't want to interfere as Russia negotiates a conclusion here.
I mean, at what point does Donald Trump step in
and say, I said, release my US hosages or all
Hell's going to break loose and we're just now getting

(02:33):
to one out of seven.

Speaker 3 (02:35):
Well, I think it's just part of a process, right,
I mean, this is to get us to phase two
of this deal and the three phase deal. We might
see a lot more of these hostages released as part
of the six week phase one, and I think it
might be you know, let's wait and see what happens
at the end of that first six week period. Of course,
Donald Trump's envoy has been part of this these negotiations

(02:56):
four weeks if not months now, and has been in
the room where these talks have been happening, so it's
fully tuned in as to as to these current situations.
And then we also saw there's the sad fact that
you know, hell to pay well, there's not much left
of Gaza, so you know, you could say they're already
paying it.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
Amas freeze four female Israeli soldiers in exchange for two
hundred Palestinian prisoners, and then also we get word that
the cease fire may be extended. That would suggest that
Israel and Amas are both still liking the process in
the way it's going towards space two.

Speaker 3 (03:32):
Right, that's the idea that even if this doesn't really happen,
you know, we don't get that broader piece deal, that
they're both at the table talking is seen as a
positive outcome.

Speaker 2 (03:43):
Great reporting today, as always, Rory O'Neil will talk again tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
Miss a little, miss a lot, miss a lot, and
we'll miss you. It's your morning show with Michael del
Cherno