A four-day truce between Israel and Hamas is expected to begin at 7 a.m. local time Friday — 12 a.m. EST — with civilian hostages taken by the terror group expected to be handed over hours later, according to Qatari officials.
The first group of hostages will include 13 Israeli women and children, who will be released at 4 p.m., bringing the total to 50 in four days, ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said in the Qatari capital, Doha.
Three Americans could be among the freed hostages. In addition, increased aid for the Palestinians will start coming in “as soon as possible,” Al-Ansari said.
Up to 150 Palestinian prisoners are also expected to be released from Israeli custody as part of the deal.
The Qatari-brokered deal was first approved by the Israeli cabinet early Wednesday local time and was set to begin Thursday morning, but was delayed as talks between Israel and Hamas continued into the morning.
One additional day of cessation of hostilities will be added for every 10 hostages released by Hamas, according to the Israeli government.
It marked the first major diplomatic breakthrough in six weeks of violent fighting since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and dragged some 240 Israeli hostages into Gaza.
More than 1,200 Israelis were killed in the sneak attack, while 11,500 people in the Gaza Strip were reported to have died during Israeli retaliation, according to Hamas-run health authorities.
Israeli forces have destroyed Gaza during their counterattack on the ground in the city, which was first hit by artillery via REUTERS
Since then, Israel has destroyed Palestinian cities with merciless artillery strikes and fierce ground invasions to crush the terrorist group.
Qatar will work with “parties to the conflict” and the Red Cross to help carry out the hostage exchange, the Arab country – where the Hamas leadership lives – said.
On Thursday morning Israel was given a list of hostages to be released, Israeli prime minister’s spokesman Ofir Gendelman announced on Twitter.
“The families of the hostages whose loved ones are on the list of those who will be released as the first stage from the cruel detention of Hamas, have been informed about it. The same goes for other hostage families,” he wrote.
Israel has vowed to continue its campaign to eliminate Hamas once a four-day ceasefire ends via REUTERS Israeli forces remain active in Gaza as a ceasefire is negotiated this week. It will start Thursday morning AP
President Biden celebrated the announcement of a deal to “secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist group Hamas,” in a statement Tuesday night.
“Today’s agreement should bring home additional American hostages, and I will not stop until they are all freed,” he said.
“I look forward to speaking with each of these leaders and staying in close contact as we work to ensure that this agreement is fully implemented. It is important that all aspects of this agreement are fully implemented,” Biden added.
Israel agreed to allow fuel and humanitarian aid such as medical supplies to Gaza as part of the deal, Hamas officials said in a statement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to resume fighting once the ceasefire ends.
“We are at war and we will continue the war until we achieve all our goals,” Netanyahu said in a statement played at a recent government meeting. “To destroy Hamas, return all our hostages and ensure that no entity in Gaza can threaten Israel.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
