The war in Gaza enters a new phase. At ten this morning – one hour less in Spain – the four days of truce agreed upon by Hamas and Israel and the exchange of prisoners will begin, according to the Islamists. If the agreement is fulfilled, the guns will fall silent for the first time in the Strip since October 7, when Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis in neighboring communities. The army’s offensive against the radicals has already cost the lives of more than 14,000 Palestinians.
The release of the first group of captives is scheduled to begin on Thursday afternoon. During the ceasefire, Hamas will release at least fifty hostages of Israeli nationality or dual nationality, all of them women and children, and in exchange Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners, women and minors. It is a delicate moment, full of mistrust and where a slight error can throw away weeks of intense negotiations.
Benjamin Netanyahu gave in to international pressure, especially from the United States, and to the clamor of the families of the kidnapped and missing, and decided to accept this pause to give priority to hostages who until now remained in the background, overshadowed by the urgency. of the ground operation. The agreement gives respite to Gaza, where more than 14,000 people have died, most of them women and children, according to the Ministry of Health, and brings a mix of hope and anxiety to the relatives of the captives, who still do not know the list of those first fifty to return home.
The two parties confirm their commitment, but the practical details of how it will be executed are unknown, so David Barnea, head of Mossad, traveled to Doha urgently to discuss each step with the prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani. , the Walla portal advanced. There are many doubts and enormous mistrust, in addition to a serious problem as Hamas has not officially confirmed the number of people it has in its power and those in the hands of other Palestinian groups. Israel estimates the total number of hostages at 240.
By phases
This is a phased process in which the Islamists will release groups of at least ten captives per day. When they cross the separation fence and their identities are confirmed, Israel will give the order to begin removing Palestinian prisoners from prisons, also in phases. The hostages will be admitted to hospitals and there they will be reunited with their families.
As every time an exchange occurs, the Israelis had the opportunity to appeal the release of certain prisoners to the Supreme Court, but on this occasion this body rejected the only request received, paving the way for the agreement.
This pact is designed to encourage the release of the greatest possible number of people, so the “release of every ten additional hostages will result in an additional day of pause,” says the statement from the Tel Aviv Government, with a maximum expected of five. extension days. This clause is very important for the morale of families. Netanyahu also said that those who do not leave in this first phase will receive a visit from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to check their health status.
Qatar has been key to what it has called a “humanitarian pause” and its Foreign Ministry clarified that during the cessation of hostilities Israel will authorize “the entry of a greater number of humanitarian convoys and relief aid, including fuel intended for humanitarian needs.” ». The number of daily trucks that will be able to cross Rafah will be between two and three hundred.
The war continues
Both Hamas and Israel have made it clear that the war continues and that this is just a pause. The army will not move its tanks from inside the Strip, but it appears it will halt drone activity in southern Gaza for the four days and in the northern part, where fighting has been toughest, for six-hour daily windows. . The Islamists assure that on these days the military will not be able to attack or detain anyone, something that Israel has not confirmed.
The truce seems that it could also extend to the northern front, where Hezbollah would be willing to stop its operations during these days, according to sources from the Party of God told the Qatari television channel Al-Jazeera. At the time of going to press there was no official confirmation.
The day before the first ceasefire came into force was marked by the burial of more than one hundred bodies in Jan Younis. The army returned to the Palestinians the dead that it had unearthed from a mass grave outside the Al-Shifa hospital and they gave it land in the center of the Strip.
In addition, the Red Crescent confirmed that it was able to launch the evacuation of the 250 injured people with mobility problems who remained in Al-Shifa. Israel insists that Hamas’s large operations center is located under what was the largest medical complex in the Strip and is working to search for the network of tunnels.
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