BreakingIsrael and Hamas start first truce in Gaza war, 13 hostages to be initially released
Israel and Hamas started a four-day truce on Friday with the militants to release a first group of 13 Israeli women and child hostages later in the day, the first break in a war that has devastated the besieged Gaza enclave.
The truce began at 7am local time (1pm Hong Kong time) and involves a comprehensive ceasefire in north and south Gaza, followed by the release of some of the more than 240 hostages taken by Hamas during the Iran-backed Islamists’ October 7 attack inside Israel that left 1,200 people dead.
But fighting raged on in the hours leading up to the truce. Both sides also signalled the pause would be temporary before fighting resumes.
Additional aid would start flowing into Gaza and the first hostages including elderly women would be freed at 4pm local time (10pm Hong Kong time), with the total number rising to 50 over the four days, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said in Doha.
At least 35 of those taken hostage were children, with 18 of them aged 10 or under at the time of the Hamas attack.
Egypt said 130,000 litres of diesel and four trucks of gas will be delivered daily to Gaza once the truce starts, and that 200 trucks of aid would enter Gaza daily.
Israel cut off all imports at the start of the war, except for a trickle of food, water and medical supplies allowed in from Egypt. The lack of fuel has caused a territory-wide blackout, leaving homes and hospitals reliant on faltering generators.
What are the details of the Israel-Hamas truce, hostage deal?
What are the details of the Israel-Hamas truce, hostage deal?
Palestinians were expected to be released from Israeli jails, the Qatari spokesperson told reporters. “We all hope that this truce will lead to a chance to start a wider work to achieve a permanent truce.”
For Gaza’s two million-plus residents, the deal spells a respite from relentless Israeli bombardments, which the strip’s Hamas government says have killed almost 15,000 people and displaced countless more.
For Hamas, the ceasefire would provide an opportunity to regroup after weeks of apparently heavy losses.
More to come …
