On Wednesday, Israel’s government and Hamas agreed to a four-day cease-fire to allow the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza in exchange for the release of 150 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel and the admission of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.
Officials from Qatar, which has been holding secret negotiations, as well as the United States, Israel, and Hamas, have been claiming for days that a settlement is nigh.
According to Israeli estimates, Hamas is keeping more than 200 hostages taken when its fighters stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that 50 women and children will be released over a four-day period, accompanied by a pause in hostilities. The statement outlined that for every additional 10 hostages released, the ceasefire would be extended by a day. Notably, the release did not mention a reciprocal release of Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas, on the other hand, stated that the 50 hostages would be exchanged for 150 Palestinian women and children currently held in Israeli jails. The truce agreement also facilitates the entry of hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian, medical, and fuel aid into Gaza, according to the Palestinian group.
As part of the accord, Israel committed to refraining from attacking or arresting individuals in all areas of Gaza during the truce. Specific conditions during the four-day ceasefire include a complete halt of air traffic in southern Gaza and a daily suspension from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (local time) in northern Gaza.
The truce, the first of its kind in the ongoing conflict, follows extensive Israeli bombardments that have devastated parts of Gaza, resulting in a significant loss of civilian lives and displacement of a large portion of the population.
Before the official announcement, Prime Minister Netanyahu credited the intervention of U.S. President Joe Biden for enhancing the preliminary agreement by securing more hostages and fewer concessions. Despite the truce, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel’s overarching objective remains unchanged: to destroy Hamas, secure the release of all hostages, and eliminate any threat to Israel from entities in Gaza.
Hamas, in its statement, asserted its commitment to the truce while emphasizing its continued readiness to defend the Palestinian people and confront the occupation.
