Israel and Hamas agreed on Wednesday, the 22nd of November, to a four-day ceasefire for the release of hostages and humanitarian aid. The agreement was brokered by Qatar and the US and provides for the exchange of 50 hostages held in Gaza for 150 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. It is estimated that more than 200 hostages are being held in Gaza following Hamas’ invasion of Israel on the 7th of October, reports Reuters.
A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that 50 women and children would be released within four days, with the possibility of an extended pause in hostilities for every ten more hostages released, without mentioning that Palestinian prisoners would be released in exchange.
The announcement came after several hours of talks during which a deal was confirmed with a commitment to return all hostages.
The Hamas statement said the deal, in addition to the release of 150 Palestinians, would allow hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian, medical aid and fuel to enter Gaza.
Israel is committed not to attack or arrest anyone in all parts of Gaza during the ceasefire,
Reuters writes that the statement added.
The Qatari government said that 50 civilian hostages would be released from the Gaza Strip in exchange for the “release of a number of Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons”, adding that the start of the ceasefire would be announced within the next 24 hours, reports Reuters.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stressed that the mission remains the same: “To destroy Hamas, return all hostages and ensure that no group in Gaza threatens Israel,” as per Reuters. Meanwhile, Hamas said that despite the ceasefire agreement, it was ready to defend its people against occupation.
A senior US official said that three Americans, including a three-year-old girl whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack on the 7th of October, were among the hostages to be released under the agreement.
Reuters writes that Israeli government has said that more than half of the hostages have foreign or dual citizenship from some 40 countries, including the US, Thailand, the UK, France, Argentina, Germany, Chile, Spain, and Portugal.
According to Reuters, citing Israeli media reports,
under the agreement the first release of hostages is expected on Thursday
and the implementation of the deal is postponed for 24 hours, giving Israeli citizens the opportunity to appeal to the Supreme Court to block the release of the Palestinian captives.
If the agreement holds, it will be the first significant pause in fighting since the start of the Israeli-Hamas war.
Read also: Hamas leader says that a truce agreement with Israel is “near”
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