An agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas, leading to a phased release of 50 civilian hostages in Gaza.
The deal involves a four-day pause in fighting, with each release of 10 hostages triggering an additional day of ceasefire.
The exact start date of the ceasefire is yet to be specified.
As part of the agreement, Israel will release up to 150 Palestinian women and children, although this wasn’t explicitly mentioned by the Israeli prime minister’s office.
The pause in hostilities, the longest since the October 7 attack by Hamas, will coincide with the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The release of hostages will occur over four to five days, with Hamas retaining around 200 hostages after this release.
The negotiations, mediated by Qatar and involving US and Israeli spy chiefs, concluded after weeks of discussions and disagreements over details, logistics, and Israel’s concessions.
Qatar confirmed the success of its mediation and expressed commitment to ongoing diplomatic initiatives to de-escalate tensions.
The hope is that this exchange will be the first of several, involving more hostages in exchange for extending the pause in hostilities.
The situation in southern Gaza remains dire, with limited aid reaching the area due to Israel’s siege, intensifying the humanitarian crisis.
Families of captives urge more significant efforts to secure their freedom, while the UN warns of a looming catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the strip.
