Gaza’s Humanitarian Truce Commences: Key Highlights

A four-day truce between Israel and Hamas officially began on Friday at 7:00 local time (5 GMT), mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. The truce aims to facilitate the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian detainees held by Israel.

Key Points:

• The truce started after 49 days of conflict between Israel and Hamas.
• The first batch of hostages (13 women and children) is expected to be released around 16:00 (14:00 GMT) on the same day.
• The agreed-upon terms include the release of 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian detainees over the four-day truce period.
• The Al-Qassam Brigades stated that 50 Israeli prisoners, including women and children under 19, will be released. In return, three Palestinian prisoners (women and children) will be released for each Israeli captive.
  Qatar mentioned the possibility of extending the truce based on information gathered during this period about additional hostages.
• Israel suggested that further exchanges might occur, possibly involving an additional 100 hostages. A preliminary list of 300 Palestinian prisoners, including 33 women, 123 prisoners under 18, and 49 Hamas members, has been received and is being examined.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office is examining the details of the preliminary list, and the government’s decision has faced internal criticism.

Does the armistice agreement mean the end of the war?

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant emphasized that the truce does not signal the end of the war in Gaza. The army plans to resume operations forcefully after the truce to eliminate Hamas and facilitate the return of additional hostages. Galant anticipates that the battles will continue for at least two more months. Hamas has asserted that their readiness to respond will persist.