Israel-Hamas agree deal for release of Gaza hostages, truce
Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement for a temporary cessation of hostilities to facilitate the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza. In return, Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners held in its jails, alongside allowing humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.
Negotiations mediated by Qatar, with involvement from the US, Israel, and Hamas, have been ongoing, with all parties indicating an imminent deal.
Hamas reportedly holds over 200 hostages, taken during an incursion into Israel on Oct. 7, resulting in casualties according to Israeli reports.
According to a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office, the release of 50 women and children will occur over four days, coinciding with a cessation of hostilities. The statement also hinted at extending the ceasefire for each additional 10 hostages released, yet did not specify the exchange of Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas announced that the release of 50 hostages would be in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons. Additionally, the truce agreement includes the allowance of humanitarian aid, comprising medical supplies, fuel, and other essentials, through hundreds of trucks into Gaza.
This agreement marks the first ceasefire amid a conflict that has witnessed widespread destruction in Hamas-controlled Gaza due to Israeli airstrikes. The conflict has resulted in significant civilian casualties, with authorities in Gaza reporting thousands of deaths and a considerable portion of the population left homeless.
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