Israel and Hamas agree four-day ceasefire and release of 50 hostages held in Gaza
The Israeli government has announced the deal for the release of 50 hostages, all of whom are women and children, over four days, during which there will be pause in fighting.
Groups of 12-13 hostages will be released per day, the Times of Israel reports.
Here is the full statement on the deal from the Israeli Government:
The Government of Israel is obligated to return home all of the hostages. Tonight, the Government has approved the outline of the first stage of achieving this goal, according to which at least 50 hostages – women and children – will be released over four days, during which a pause in the fighting will be held. The release of every additional ten hostages will result in one additional day in the pause.
The Government of Israel, the IDF and the security services will continue the war in order to return home all of the hostages, complete the elimination of Hamas and ensure that there will be no new threat to the State of Israel from Gaza.
The Times of Israel also reports that there may be 30 more hostages released and that the pause in fighting could be extended “by a day for each group of 10 more Israeli hostages”.
Earlier, Israeli media, including Channel 12 news, reported that if the deal was approved, the first release of hostages is expected on Thursday.
The delay is because if the deal is agreed to, there must be a 24-hour waiting period before it is implemented, to give Israeli citizens the chance to ask the supreme court to block the release of Palestinian prisoners, according to reports in Israeli media.
What has been agreed?
Fifty women and children held hostage by Hamas and other groups in Gaza since 7 Octoberare to be released in exchange for a four-day ceasefirein a deal brokered by Qatar with the support of the US.
A US official said three Americans would be among those freed, including a girl who turns four this week, and that the first release should come by Thursday.
According to Hamas, Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners, all women and children, from Israeli jails and allow hundreds of aid trucks a day to cross the Rafah border with Egypt, providing humanitarian supplies to Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel will cease air sorties in southern Gaza and restrict them to six hours a day in the north, according to the Hamas account of the deal, which also says Israeli forces will not bring military vehicles into Gaza during the ceasefire, nor try to detain anyone.
The ceasefire would be extended by a day for every 10 additional hostages released, the Israeli government said.
The agreement temporarily pauses a war that has lasted more than six weeks so far. It has cost the lives of 14,128 Palestinians in Gaza, according to its Hamas-run health ministry, and more than 1,200 people in Israel, most of whom were victims of the surprise Hamas cross-border attack on 7 October.
