Four-day truce between Israel and Hamas begins
A day late, the expected temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began today at 7am. In addition to a four-day cessation of hostilities, the agreement reached thanks to the mediation of Qatar provides for the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, including fuel, as well as the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and minors arrested on terrorism-related charges.
Israel has also pressed for the International Red Cross to visit all hostages not included in the agreement and to provide them with the necessary medicines. For the time being, only Israeli women and children held since 7 October will be released.
However, according to the Wall Street Journal, Hamas has refused to allow Red Cross workers to visit the hostages who will remain in Gaza. During these 48 days, the terrorist group has not allowed the Red Cross to visit the hostages, despite the fact that many of the hostages are minors, elderly or have health problems and need medication.
Shortly after the start of the truce, several fuel trucks and four tankers with cooking gas began to enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Prison Service has begun processing the 39 juvenile and female prisoners who will be released in the coming hours. They will be transferred to Ofer Prison in the West Bank shortly before noon, where they will be released, but not before the 13 Israeli hostages are released by Hamas and properly identified. Most are from the West Bank, but five are from the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli authorities have already contacted the families of the first hostages who are expected to return home this afternoon. After arriving on Israeli territory, the released women and children will undergo a brief medical examination. They will then be flown to hospitals where they will be reunited with their families.
Before the start of the truce, the IDF destroys a tunnel under the Al Shifa hospital
During the four-day truce, Israel has pledged not to initiate military action, but has assured that if Hamas violates the ceasefire and attacks soldiers stationed in the northern Gaza Strip, troops would be allowed to retaliate. So far this morning, just minutes after the truce began, alarms were sounded in several communities in southern Israel.
The Israeli army intends to use the pause to plan the next steps in the war, while Hamas is likely to use it to reorganise and rearm after several defeats in the Palestinian enclave.
Before the temporary ceasefire began, Israeli troops demolished a Hamas tunnel located beneath Gaza City's Al Shifa hospital, where the terrorist organisation is believed to have its headquarters. In recent days the Israel Defense Forces have found tunnels in the vicinity of the hospital, as well as numerous weapons.
With the start of the truce, many residents of northern Gaza have tried to return to their homes despite Israel's warnings that it is still a war zone. The IDF has again dropped leaflets over the area warning of the danger, while the Hamas-controlled Gazan authorities have called on displaced persons in southern Gaza to return to their homes once the truce begins.
In the south, on the other hand, there have been several anti-Hamas protests in places such as Khan Junis. Many Gazans have raised white flags while shouting slogans against the Islamist group as they fear that the Israeli operation will expand to the south after many Hamas leaders have gone into hiding in the area.
This is not the first time Gazans have expressed their rejection of Hamas during the war.
Recently a man speaking to an Al Jazeera journalist from a Gazan hospital began cursing Hamas before the Qatari media reporter abruptly interrupted him.