In line with the agreement between Israel and Hamas, the latter is set to release 14 Israeli hostages, while Israel will reciprocate by releasing 42 Palestinians on the second day of the truce, scheduled for Friday. Hamas has already provided the list of 14 hostages to Egypt, a key broker in the ceasefire and hostage release negotiations.
Israeli authorities are currently reviewing the list of individuals slated for release, with a corresponding list of Palestinians to be released from Israeli prisons on the following Saturday. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) anticipate the commencement of the release process soon.
On the preceding Thursday, 39 Palestinian prisoners and 13 Israeli captives were released in adherence to the truce agreement. Additionally, Hamas executed a separate deal, releasing 10 Thai nationals and one Philippine citizen.
Concurrently, the influx of aid trucks entering Gaza has significantly increased, transporting essential supplies such as medicines, food grains, bread, and fuel. This surge is expected to alleviate the current shortages in vital materials, including food items, medicines, and fuel.
"The increase in truck flow will help mitigate the present shortage of essential materials. We are hopeful that the ceasefire persists, bringing about a return to normalcy, a senior official from the United Nations Relief and Welfare Agency (UNRWA) was quoted as saying by news agency IANS.
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