A four-day ceasefire in Gaza is set to begin today, with a group of 13 Israeli hostages expected to be released in exchange for prisoners. The agreement, mediated by Qatar, has cleared the last-minute hurdles, and the pause in fighting will go into effect on Friday morning. The hostages, consisting of children and their mothers, will be freed later in the day. Majed Al-Ansari, spokesman for Qatar’s foreign ministry, expressed optimism that there would be no further delays. Additional aid for Palestinians is also expected to enter Gaza soon. Stay tuned for the latest updates on the ceasefire and hostage release.
The first batch of hostages to be released today will include women and children from the same families. Over the course of the four days, at least 50 hostages are anticipated to regain their freedom. Details about their conditions while in captivity remain scarce, but experts are preparing for worst-case scenarios due to the barbaric nature of the attacks. Specially trained soldiers will be on hand to ensure the hostages’ safety, carrying a favorite food item for each child. Israeli trauma experts and medics are also standing by to assist them.
Welcome to our live blog covering the Israel-Hamas conflict. In less than an hour, a ceasefire is scheduled to commence at 7am local time (5am GMT). We will keep you updated throughout the day on the latest news and developments.
