Israel and Hamas agree on four-day humanitarian pause from today

AFP | Jerusalem                                                    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Israel and Hamas said yesterday they had agreed on a four-day truce in the Gaza war during which the Palestinian fighters would free at least 50 of the hostages taken in their October 7 attack.

In turn, Israel would release at least 150 Palestinian prisoners and allow more humanitarian aid into the coastal territory after more than six weeks of bombardment, heavy fighting and a crippling siege.

The hostagesto be freed are women and children, and the Palestinian prisoners are women and detainees aged 18 and younger. The process could begin today at 10:00 am (0800 GMT, 11am, Bahrain time), according to regional media reports.

The deal - negotiated with Qatar, the United States and Egypt - is the first major breakthrough in Gaza’s bloodiest ever war that has killed thousands and left much of the territory in ruins. Although it promises a truce that could be extended if more captives are freed, Israel has vowed to stick to its war aim of destroying Hamas and rescuing all 240 hostages held in the war zone.

“We are very happy that a partial release is pending,” Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum group said in a statement. “As of now, we don’t know exactly who will be released when.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose cabinet approved the truce after a marathon overnight session, told his ministers it was a “difficult decision but it’s a right decision”.

The cabinet’s sign-off was one of the last hurdles after what one US official described as five “extremely excruciating” weeks of talks. Hamas welcomed the “humanitarian truce” and an official of the Islamist group told AFP that “the resistance is committed to the truce as long as the occupation honours it”.

The war started after Hamas on October 7 launched the worst attack in Israel’s history that left around 1,200 people dead, most of them civilians, according to the Israeli government. Israel launched a major bombing campaign and then a ground offensive in Gaza which, according to the Hamas government, has killed 14,100 people, thousands of them children.