Israel And Hamas Call A Truce To Free Hostages In Swap For Prisoners, And Allow More Aid Into Gaza

(JERUSALEM) – Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day cease-fire in Gaza, a diplomatic breakthrough that will release dozens of hostages held by militants as well as Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, as well as deliver a massive influx of aid to the besieged area.

The truce announced Wednesday bolstered expectations of finally ending the war, which was sparked by Hamas’s raid into Israel on October 7. Now in its seventh week, the war has destroyed massive swathes of Gaza, spurred a rise of violence in the occupied West Bank, and fueled worries of a wider Middle Eastern conflagration.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel would restart fighting after the truce to destroy Hamas’ combat and governance capabilities and guarantee the release of all hostages in Gaza.

The cease-fire temporarily paralyzes both sides at a critical juncture. Israeli troops control much of northern Gaza and claim to have destroyed tunnels and much of Hamas’ infrastructure. However, Israeli officials concede that the group’s infrastructure is still in place elsewhere. Just days before the agreement, Israel declared its intention to launch a ground offensive in the south.

Israel And Hamas Call A Truce To Free Hostages In Swap For Prisoners, And Allow More Aid Into Gaza

This could be disastrous for Gaza’s uprooted people, the majority of whom are crammed into the south with nowhere to move to dodge the assault.

Residents in Gaza City said shooting, heavy artillery, and airstrikes escalated overnight into Wednesday. “Apparently they want to advance before the truce,” said Nasser al-Sheikh, who is taking refuge in the city with relatives.

Throughout the day, Palestinian militants fired rockets at Israel, suffering no injuries.

The peace statement came after weeks of indirect, stop-and-start discussions to liberate some of the approximately 240 hostages kidnapped by Hamas and other terrorists during their October 7 invasion.

According to Egypt’s state-run Qahera TV channel, the cease-fire will occur on Thursday at 10 a.m. local time (0800 GMT). Egypt and Qatar, as well as the United States, aided in mediating the agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Fifty hostages will be released in phases in exchange for the release of 150 Palestinian detainees, according to Hamas. Women and children will be released first by both sides.

Israel claimed the cease-fire will be prolonged by one day for every ten hostages freed by Hamas. According to Hamas, hundreds of trucks bringing humanitarian aid, including fuel, will be permitted into Gaza.

Israel And Hamas Call A Truce To Free Hostages In Swap For Prisoners, And Allow More Aid Into Gaza

US President Joe Biden praised the agreement, saying Netanyahu had agreed to an “extended pause.” Several countries, including the United Kingdom, France, China, and Russia, applauded the accord.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister, hoped the agreement would eventually lead to a lasting cease-fire and “serious talks” on addressing the Israeli-Palestinian problem.

The Israeli Justice Ministry announced a list of 300 convicts eligible for release; the majority of them were jailed in the previous year for rock-throwing and other minor offenses.

The Israeli military claims to have detained around 1,850 Palestinians in the West Bank since the war began; the majority of them are alleged Hamas members. Over 200 Palestinians have died there, mostly in battles sparked by IDF operations. Attacks by Jewish settlers have increased, adding to Palestinian despair.

When thousands of Hamas militants stormed southern Israel, they killed at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took hostages.

According to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave, weeks of Israeli bombardment in Gaza, followed by a ground invasion, have killed more than 11,000 Palestinians. It makes no distinction between civilians and militants, even though two-thirds of the dead have been identified as women and youngsters.

The ministry stated that it had lost the ability to tally the dead as of November 11 due to the collapse of large portions of the health system but that the number had climbed sharply since then. Some 2,700 people are feared to be buried beneath the rubble.

Ending the war now would leave Israel short of its goal of destroying Hamas throughout Gaza.

During the truce, Israeli troops and tanks are likely to remain in northern Gaza. Israel claims to have killed thousands of Hamas fighters but has provided no evidence to back up its claim.

Israel And Hamas Call A Truce To Free Hostages In Swap For Prisoners, And Allow More Aid Into Gaza

Meanwhile, Hamas will have time to regroup. Hamas commander Yehya Sinwar will almost certainly sell the release of the detainees – considered heroes battling occupation by the majority of Palestinians — as a big triumph and declare victory if the war ends.

Israel is under pressure to extend the cease-fire. The damage caused by the war has spurred international condemnation of Israel, and even the United States, its closest ally, has expressed worry over the severe toll on Gaza’s residents.

According to Ahmad Balouny, a relative of the deceased, an airstrike hit a residential building in the southern town of Khan Younis overnight, killing 17 people, including children. The bodies of two youngsters were retrieved from the wreckage by an Associated Press reporter.

Workers excavated a mass grave in Khan Younis for 111 dead turned over by Israeli authorities after troops seized them from Shifa Hospital and other sections of northern Gaza. During the search for hostages in the north, Israeli troops seized the bodies for DNA analysis.

Buildings in the Nusseirat refugee camp and the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza were also leveled by strikes in recent days. According to the city’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, 128 dead were taken in overnight following strikes.

“There’s no safe place,” Umm Rami al-Jabali, who survived a hit in Deir al-Balah, said. “Inside isn’t safe, outside isn’t safe.”

Israel And Hamas Call A Truce To Free Hostages In Swap For Prisoners, And Allow More Aid Into Gaza

The release of captives could raise spirits in Israel, where their misery has gripped the country. Families of the hostages, who include toddlers and elderly people, have launched enormous protests to persuade the government to release them.

However, they may find themselves split if certain hostages are released, and others are not.

Ofri Bibas Levy, whose brother, sister-in-law, and two nephews — ages four and ten months — are among the detainees, said the agreement places the families in an “inhumane” situation.

“Who will be released, and who will not be?” Will the children be released? Will they be released with their mothers or not?” she asked The Associated Press before the agreement was revealed. “No matter how it happens, there will still be families that will remain worried, sad and angry.”

SOURCE – (AP)