Israel and Hamas have reached a groundbreaking agreement, signaling a four-day ceasefire and the liberation of over 50 captive women and children from Gaza in a pivotal turn of events. This landmark deal arrives nearly seven weeks into a conflict that has plunged the region into an acute humanitarian crisis.
The terms, articulated by key mediator Qatar in an official statement, outline the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons. Alongside this exchange, the truce promises to facilitate the passage of increased humanitarian aid and relief convoys into the embattled enclave, as outlined in the statement.
I expect the specific commencement time for the ceasefire to be disclosed within the next 24 hours, according to the statement. CNN received confirmation from an Israeli official on Wednesday that the ceasefire is scheduled to commence at 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) on Thursday.
This agreement marks a ray of hope in the prolonged conflict, offering a brief respite for civilians grappling with the devastating consequences of the hostilities. As both sides embrace this opportunity for peace, eyes remain cautiously optimistic for a sustained cessation of violence and a path towards lasting stability in the region.
A source familiar with how hostages are anticipated to leave Gaza told CNN that the first exchange is anticipated to take place on Thursday at 10 a.m. Israeli time. Some 50 Israel hostages – including some with binary ethnicities – are anticipated to be released over the four-day pause. Ten is the minimal number of hostages to be released daily, but that could be advanced.
The source said that the first exchange is the most pivotal to ensure that the medium is working as agreed.”Every evening before the coming day’s release, Israel and Hamas will give the Red Cross the list of hostage and internee names being released the coming day, they added. The Red Cross will bring hostages to Rafah, where specially trained Israeli dogfaces will meet them. They will corroborate that the hostages released were the bones anticipated and on the list. The source said that the families of the hostages won’t be notified until they verify the identities of the released hostages.Copter will also take hostages to several designated hospitals in Israel where there will be special areas and apartments for the hostages, closed to the public. Their families will eventually be able to see them after over six weeks in prison. Hamas is holding 239 hostages interned in Gaza, including foreign citizens from 26 countries, according to numbers from the Israeli service. The mass rapes at gunpoint took place on October 7, when Hamas zealots struck across the border in a coordinated and bloody surprise attack killing around 1,200 people – the largest similar attack on Israel since the country’s founding in 1948.
The Unfolding of the Agreement: What to Expect
A source familiar with how hostages are anticipated to leave Gaza told CNN,” We anticipate the first exchange to take place on Thursday at 10a.m. Israeli time.” Some 50 Israel hostages – including some with binary ethnicities – are anticipated to be released over the four- day pause. They anticipate releasing at least ten hostages each day, but they may increase that number.Every evening before the coming day’s release, Israel and Hamas will give the Red Cross the list of hostage and internee names being released the coming day, they added. Hostages will be brought by the Red Cross to Rafah where they will be met by especially trained Israeli dogfaces. They will corroborate that the hostages released were the bones anticipated and on the list. The families of the hostages won’t be notified until the individualities of the hostages released have been verified, the source said. Copter will also take hostages to several designated hospitals in Israel where there will be special areas and apartments for the hostages, closed to the public. There, their families will eventually be suitable to see them after over six weeks in prison. Hamas is holding 239 hostages interned in Gaza, including foreign citizens from 26 countries, according to numbers from the Israeli service. The mass rapes at gunpoint took place during October 7, when Hamas zealots struck across the border in a coordinated and bloody surprise attack killing around 1,200 people – the largest similar attack on Israel since the country’s founding in 1948. Prior to the deal, only a sprinkle of hostages had been released. Israel responded to the attack by declaring war against Hamas and assessing a leaguer on Gaza that cut off inventories of food, water, drugs and energy, while launching a grim air and ground assault. According to data from the Palestinian health ministry in the West Bank, which draws on information from Hamas-run health authorities, some 12,700 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7.The recently blazoned deal followed weeks of accommodations that included the United States and Egypt, and was approved by Israel’s press in the early hours of Wednesday morning following a six- hour meeting an Israeli functionary described as “ tense and emotional. Some 150 Palestinian captures would be released over four days during the original hostage release if terms are met, the government said. Just hours down from the first set of hostages being released from Gaza, US officers have a working list of 10 hostages that they believe are likely to be released on day one, a source familiar says. It wasn’t clear whether any of the three American hostages – including 3- time-old Abigail Edan – would be released on the first day. I structure the deal in such a way that each day, a group of hostages to be released would be handed off to the Red Cross; the Red Cross would also take the group to a designated border point, which will largely depend on the position of those hostages, the source familiar said. numerous of the first 50 hostages are anticipated to come out through Egypt, they said. The first two days of the hostage release will be treated as a “ testing period, ” the source said, to make sure the process is working. By day three, there’s anticipated to be violent conversations about a implicit alternate phase of the hostage release beyond the original group of 50. The deal followed mounting pressure on the Israeli government from the families of the hostages, who have demanded answers and action from Netanyahu. It also comes amid growing transnational pressure for further philanthropic support for the people of Gaza.