A truce is set to take effect on Friday morning between Hamas and Israel, following negotiations facilitated by Qatar. Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas has committed to releasing a minimum of 13 hostages, primarily women and children, as confirmed by Majed al Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry.
Scheduled to commence at 7 AM on Friday, the ceasefire is slated to endure for four days. Ansari specified that the release of the 13 hostages is set for 4 PM on the same day. Additionally, there are expectations that, over the course of the four-day ceasefire, Hamas will free approximately 50 more hostages, with Egypt likely serving as the conduit for their release.
Ongoing diplomatic discussions in Doha have involved key stakeholders, including the United States and Saudi Arabia, as well as other prominent Arab nations. Qatar has played a pivotal role in mediating between Hamas and Israel.
Hamas had taken over 200 hostages during its offensive on October 7. The negotiation process has seen Israel express a willingness to extend the ceasefire by an extra day in exchange for the release of 10 additional hostages. However, a definitive agreement regarding the release of Palestinian children from Israeli prisons remains pending.
As part of the ceasefire terms, both parties have also agreed to permit the entry of at least 200 aid trucks, ensuring the delivery of relief. Furthermore, four additional trucks will supply fuel and cooking gas daily throughout the truce, covering all regions of Gaza.
The Hamas Health Ministry reports that more than 13,300 Palestinians have lost their lives in Gaza due to Israeli attacks, with an additional 2,700 Palestinians still missing and presumed buried beneath the rubble. Israel, on the other hand, claims that 1,200 of its citizens have been killed since the onset of hostilities on October 7.
The conflict has extended to the West Bank, where Israeli forces have killed 201 Palestinians, including 52 children. Regrettably, 53 journalists and media personnel have also lost their lives at the hands of Israeli forces. Furthermore, the Director of Al Shifa Hospital, Mohammad Abu Salmiya, has been detained by Israeli forces, allegedly for his involvement in activities that implicate the hospital as a Hamas command and control center.
Israel confirms receiving 1st-stage hostage release list
The Israeli government has officially acknowledged receipt of a roster detailing hostages set for release from the Gaza Strip, marking the initial stage of a negotiated swap arrangement with Hamas.
Gal Hirsch, the coordinator for hostages and missing individuals at the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, announced on Thursday that families of the hostages included on the list had been informed, refraining from divulging specifics about the list itself or the anticipated ceasefire timing in Gaza, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
This disclosure closely followed Qatar's announcement, acting as a mediator, confirming that the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in Gaza would come into effect at 7 a.m. local time on Friday.
Egypt, collaborating with Qatar and the US in brokering the Israel-Hamas truce in recent weeks, also affirmed on Thursday that the delayed truce would be implemented at 7 a.m. on Friday in Gaza.
Diaa Rashwan, Chairman of Egypt's State Information Service, stated that his country had received two separate lists detailing hostages detained in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, all slated for release on Friday.
Initially, Israel and Hamas had agreed on a four-day temporary ceasefire in Gaza, commencing on Thursday, as part of a deal for Hamas to release approximately 50 hostages from Gaza in exchange for nearly 150 Palestinian detainees held in Israel.
However, Tzachi Hanegbi, Director of Israel's National Security Council, announced late on Wednesday that the anticipated deal would not come into effect on Thursday, contrary to expectations.
Israeli military operations, including airstrikes and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, have been ongoing since October 7, retaliating against a surprise attack launched by Hamas, the militant group governing the Palestinian enclave since 2007. Israel claims that the Hamas assault resulted in around 1,200 casualties and over 200 individuals taken as hostages to Gaza.
Simultaneously, the Palestinian death toll from continuous Israeli airstrikes in Gaza has reportedly risen to 14,532, according to the Hamas-run media office in Gaza.
(With Agency Inputs)
ALSO READ | IDF Arrests Director of Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital
ALSO READ | 115 Reported Killed in Israeli Attacks on Lebanon Amid Border Clashes
