- Nearly seven weeks after the conflict began, Israel and Hamas have achieved an agreement for a four-day cease-fire and the release of at least fifty women and children taken captive in Gaza. This is a significant diplomatic achievement.
- The deal, as laid out by key negotiator Qatar in a statement, would see hostages held captive by Hamas released in exchange for a number of Palestinian women and children in Israeli jails. The truce, meanwhile, would also allow the entry of “a larger number of humanitarian convoys and relief aid,” the statement said.
- The announcement also stated that the commencement time of the fighting break would be disclosed within the following twenty-four hours. The truce is scheduled to start on Thursday at 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET), an Israeli official told CNN on Wednesday.
- There is an option for the pause to last as long as 10 days, but Israeli officials believe it is unlikely to last that long. Following the deal’s approval, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that there would be a daily ceasefire for every ten hostages freed.
- According to CNN, deputy national security adviser Jon Finer, as part of the agreement to ensure the release of 50 women and children held captive in Gaza, the US and Israel will also cease drone flights over the region for six hours every day.
- The announcement has been greeted with relief and heightened anticipation from the families of those taken hostage, who now await further news about their loved ones.
Source:
CNN
