Hamas agreed on Wednesday to release 50 hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, humanitarian aid, and a four-day truce in Gaza. The cease-fire will begin at 10 a.m. local time, when both sides will start with the release of women and children.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Tuesday, “Israel’s government is committed to return all the hostages home. Tonight, it approved the proposed deal as a first stage to achieving this goal.” Israel will extend the cease-fire if more hostages are released, with the agreement to release 50 hostages at a rate of at least 10 per day. As long as 10 hostages are released daily, the truce could be extended.
The successful mediation efforts by Qatar indicate progress toward ending the conflict, now in its 46th day. Qatar’s chief negotiator, Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, spoke to Reuters about the terms of the truce: “No attack whatsoever. No military movements, no expansion, nothing.” He said Qatar is optimistic about the negotiations they are mediating, and that the progress “will be a seed to a bigger agreement and a permanent cease of fire…. That’s our intention.”
