- The Guardian
Gaza – A spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry said Thursday afternoon that the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas would go into effect Friday at 7 a.m. while a first group of 13 Israeli hostages include children and women would be freed on Friday at 4 p.m.
The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Israel had received an “initial” list of names of abductees expected to go free, and that families of those set to return Friday had been updated, as had relatives of those whose names didn't appear.
Dua warga negara AS yang disandera Hamas akhirnya dibebaskan, Jumat, 20 Oktober
- Government of Israel via AP Photo
Hamas’s military wing also said a ceasefire would go into effect Friday morning, and last four days.
“In four days, 50 (hostages) will be released,” Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades said, confirming information from Israel that three jailed Palestinian terror convicts would be freed in exchange for every Israeli hostage, totaling 150.
It had previously been understood that the pause in fighting would begin only after the first group of Israeli hostages was released.
The deal, which was mediated by Qatar and the US, would see Hamas release 50 Israeli women and children it took hostage on October 7, over the course of four days, in exchange for a lull in the fighting during those four days and the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel for terror offenses, all of them women or minors.
Konflik Israel-Palestina
- (AP Photo/Yousef Masoud)
The deal will also enable an influx of fuel and humanitarian supplies to Gaza during the pause, which would be the first cessation of fighting since Hamas sparked the war nearly seven weeks ago when its terrorists rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, massacring some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 240 hostages.
The Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari said Doha had received the list of names of the civilians the terror group would free on the first day of the deal.
The deal had originally been expected to take effect Thursday morning, before being suddenly put off late on Wednesday night, with Israel’s National Security Council chairman Tzachi Hanegbi stating that the release of the hostages would not start before Friday.
This led to speculation throughout Thursday as to the cause, as reported from the Times of Israel.
Having planned to stop combat operations on Thursday, Israel indicated it would continue as usual until the deal came into effect.
