 "gaza")
A truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza will start on Friday at 7 am local time (which is 10:30 am IST), with a the first batch of hostages to be released at 4 pm (which is 7:30 pm IST), a spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry said on Thursday.
Majed Al-Ansari told reporters in Doha the lists of all civilians that would be released from Gaza had been agreed with aid “going in as soon as possible.” He also said the first batch of captive civilians to be freed would include 13 women and children.
The diplomatic breakthrough promised some relief for the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza who have endured weeks of Israeli bombardment, as well as families in Israel fearful for the fate of their loved ones taken captive during Hamas’ October 7 attack that triggered the war.
Under the deal, the two sides agreed to a four-day truce so that 50 women and children under the age of 19 taken hostage could be freed in return for 150 Palestinian women and teenagers in Israeli detention. The 50 hostages, among about 240 taken by Hamas in their October 7 raid on Israel, are expected to be released in batches, the first one being on 24 November.
US President Joe Biden called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani of Qatar and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt to discuss the latest situation in West Asia following an agreement between Israel and Hamas on the release of hostages.
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Truce won’t end war, says Netanyahu
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Israeli Cabinet that the war to eliminate Hamas wouldn’t let up after a cease-fire, even as he signalled that a deal was near to free hostages in Gaza in return for a temporary pause in fighting. “There is nonsense out there as if after the pause in fighting, we will stop the war,” he said.
“We are at war and we will continue it until we achieve all the objectives. We will eliminate Hamas, return all the hostages and guarantee that there will be no element in Gaza that threatens Israel,” he said.
