Officials from Egypt said that Hamas was getting ready to swap 14 Israeli hostages for 42 Palestinian prisoners that Israel was holding on Saturday. The exchange took place on the second day of a cease-fire that has provided vital humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and provided civilians with their first break after seven weeks of fighting.
On the first day of the four-day cease-fire, Israel liberated 39 Palestinian prisoners, while Hamas released 24 of the approximately 240 captives it had abducted during its attack on Israel on October 7, which started the conflict. Ten Thais, one Filipino, and thirteen Israelis were let free from their incarceration in Gaza.
A list of 14 prisoners who are to be freed was given by Hamas to Egypt and Qatar on Saturday, and the list has been forwarded to Israel, an Egyptian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to discuss specifics of the current discussions. The information was verified by another Egyptian official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.
Israel’s Prison Service had already announced earlier on Saturday that it was getting ready to release 42 inmates. As per the terms of the peace deal, Hamas would liberate one Israeli hostage for every three prisoners released.
The number of non-Israeli detainees who might also be released was not immediately apparent. During the four-day truce, Hamas is expected to free 150 Palestinian detainees, all of whom are women and youngsters, and at least 50 Israeli captives.
According to Israel, the ceasefire can be prolonged by one day for every ten prisoners who are freed. US President Joe Biden expressed optimism that this would happen.
In a related development, a group from Qatar landed in Israel on Saturday with the intention of working with local partners and making sure “that the agreement stays in place,” a diplomat said.
In a related development, a diplomat briefed on the travel stated that a group from Qatar came to Israel on Saturday with the goal of liaising with local parties and “ensuring the deal continues to move smoothly.” The diplomat was not permitted to discuss specifics with the media, so he spoke on the condition of anonymity.
For the 2.3 million Palestinians who are reeling and desperate from the ceaseless Israeli shelling that has killed hundreds, driven out 75% of the population, and leveled residential neighborhoods, the commencement of the truce on Friday morning offered some much-needed calm. The terrorists in Gaza stopped firing rockets into Israel.
The break allowed Emad Abu Hajer, who lives in the Gaza City neighborhood’s Jabaliya refugee camp, to once again pick through the debris of his house, which was destroyed by an Israeli bombardment last week.
The attack claimed the lives of 19 people when he discovered the corpses of his cousin and nephew on Friday. He started digging again on Saturday, even though his sister and two other family are still unaccounted for.
“Our goal is to locate them and bury them with honor,” he declared. The halt, according to the UN, allowed it to increase the amount of food, water, and medication being delivered—the most since humanitarian assistance convoys resumed on October 21. In addition, it was able to provide cooking gas for the first time since the start of the war and 129,000 liters (34,078 gallons) of fuel, or little more than 10% of the daily pre-war amount.
A lengthy line of people waiting at a filling station in Khan Younis, in the southern city, on Saturday carried petrol cans and other containers in the hopes of getting some of the freshly supplied fuel.
Hossam Fayad bemoaned that the combat lull was just temporary while he waited for petrol. The information you provide addresses the events that have transpired since Israel and Hamas declared a ceasefire, including the release of detainees and hostages. Aid is now able to enter northern Gaza thanks to the truce, and patients from a hospital in Gaza City were able to be evacuated to Khan Younis with the help of the Palestinian Red Crescent.
Even if the hostages’ release has offered some respite, Israelis and Palestinians are nonetheless anxious about the short duration of the ceasefire and the continued humanitarian situation in Gaza. Israelis are worried because not all of the captives will be released. The article also discusses the conflict’s larger background, stating that Israel’s declared war objectives and the activities of Hamas terrorists caused the war to break out. Significant casualties from the attack have been reported, and different groups engaged have voiced a variety of worries and demands.
