A four-day truce in the Israel-Hamas war took effect early yesterday, setting the stage for the exchange of dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza in return for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
The halt in fighting promised some relief for Gaza’s 2.3 million people, who have endured weeks of Israeli bombardment, as well as families in Israel fearful for the fate of loved ones taken captive during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.
The pause started at 7am local time and is to last at least four days. During this period, Gaza’s ruling Hamas group pledged to free at least 50 of the about 240 hostages it and other militants took on Oct. 7. Hamas said Israel would free 150 Palestinian prisoners.
Photo: AFP
Both sides would release women and children first. Israel said the truce would be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed.
The truce deal was reached in weeks of intense indirect negotiations, with Qatar, the US and Egypt serving as mediators. If it holds, it would mark the first significant break in fighting since Israel declared war on Hamas seven weeks ago.
The agreement raised hopes of eventually winding down the war, which has leveled vast swaths of Gaza, fueled a surge of violence in the occupied West Bank and stirred fears of a wider conflagration across the Middle East. Israel has pushed back against such speculation, saying it was determined to resume its massive offensive once the truce ends.
A first group of 13 women and children held by Hamas were to be freed yesterday afternoon, Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Majed al-Ansari said.
Three Palestinian prisoners, also women and minors, are to be released for every freed hostage.
Israeli Ministry of Justice published a list of 300 prisoners eligible to be released, mainly teenagers detained over the past year for rock-throwing and other minor offenses.
The return of hostages could lift spirits in Israel, where their plight has gripped the country. Families of the hostages have staged mass demonstrations to pressure the government to bring them home. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it notified the families of hostages listed for release yesterday.
Increased aid for Palestinians would start to enter Gaza “as soon as possible,” al-Ansari said on Thursday.
The hope is that the “momentum” from this deal would lead to an “end to this violence,” he said.
Hamas said 200 trucks a day would enter Gaza carrying humanitarian aid.
The aid would include fuel, but has given no details on quantities, Qatar said.
Israel cut off all imports at the start of the war, except for a trickle of food, water and medical supplies allowed in from Egypt. The lack of fuel has caused a territory-wide blackout, leaving homes and hospitals reliant on faltering generators.
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