Hamas announced a four-day ceasefire with Israel, aiming to release hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails. The agreement also facilitates the entry of humanitarian aid and fuel into the besieged enclave.
Hamas announced the release of 50 hostages (women and children) out of around 240 captured by militants during the October 7 attack in Israel. In exchange, 150 Palestinian women and children will be released.
The agreement, facilitated by Qatar and Egypt, permits the entry of numerous humanitarian, medical, and fuel aid trucks into Gaza.
Additionally, Israel’s air activity in south Gaza will cease for four days, and in the north, it will halt from 10:00 a.m. to 04:00 p.m. local time, as stated by Hamas.
“As we announce the striking of a truce agreement, we affirm that our fingers remain on the trigger, and our victorious fighters will remain on the lookout to defend our people and defeat the occupation,” Hamas said.
A mediator from Qatar expressed hope that the agreement would pave the way for a lasting ceasefire.
Israel, in a separate confirmation, stated that the cessation of hostilities would lengthen by a day for every ten hostages released additionally. Hamas did not acknowledge this particular arrangement in their statement.
“Israel’s government is committed to return all the hostages home. Tonight, it approved the proposed deal as a first stage to achieving this goal,” Israel’s prime minister’s office said.
The bombardments from Israel have devastated parts of Gaza under Hamas rule, resulting in the deaths of 13,300 individuals in the densely populated area and rendering about two-thirds of its 2.3 million residents homeless, as reported by Gaza authorities.
Qatar’s lead negotiator in the ceasefire discussions, Minister of State at the Foreign Ministry Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, informed Reuters that the International Committee of the Red Cross would aid in facilitating the release of the hostages within Gaza.
“It’s going to be an intensive period where we’re going to be 24/7 in direct communication with the ICRC and the two parties, making sure that we perfect the release of the hostages,” Al-Khulaifi said when he spoke with Reuters.
He said that the truce meant there would be “no attack whatsoever. No military movements, no expansion, nothing.”
Al-Khulaifi added that Qatar hopes the deal “will be a seed to a bigger agreement and a permanent ceasefire. And that’s our intention.”
Al-Khulaifi said, “In our understanding, it’s the light at the end of the tunnel. It is a positive development in this very difficult and complicated crisis that we’re living in.”
