Qatar releases details of an agreement that will see the release of some hostages kidnapped from Israel by Hamas
Qatar published this Thursday (23) details of the agreement that releases some of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas from Israel last month.
A comprehensive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip begins this Friday (24th) at 7 a.m. local time. The exchange of 50 hostages held by Hamas and 150 Palestinian prisoners will begin in Brasília from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 a.m. Four days of ceasefire are planned to complete the operation.
The details were announced by the foreign ministry of the deal’s main broker, Qatar. The first group of hostages to return home will consist of 13 women, children and teenagers.
“If there is a group of hostages from the same family, they will be released together in this first group,” the Qatari spokesman said.
1 of 2 Qatar publishes details of the agreement that releases some of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas from Israel Photo: JN Qatar publishes details of the agreement that provides for the release of some of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas from Israel Photo: JN
According to the Israeli Ministry of Health, the hostages will be handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross, then taken from Gaza to Egypt via the Rafah border crossing and from there taken to six hospitals in Israel, where they will be treated and examined by doctors and psychiatric professionals.
The Qatari government spokesman said the parties were considering releasing a larger number of hostages and thus extending the ceasefire. One day of ceasefire is added for every ten hostages.
The agreement also calls for the daily entry of 200 humanitarian aid trucks and four trucks loaded with fuel and cooking gas into the Gaza Strip.
“Lines of communication remain open and any violations will be reported,” the spokesperson added.
Hamas promised to respect the ceasefire. Israel has pledged not to attack the south of the territory and not to fly over the northern Gaza Strip for six hours a day.
The war in Gaza continued this Thursday (23). Columns of smoke from explosions rose from the north of the strip, seen from southern Israel. The Israeli military said it carried out 300 airstrikes.
Residents of Rafah said that several people were killed this Wednesday (22) in an Israeli airstrike that hit several houses.
2 out of 2 houses in Rafah were hit by bombing Photo: JN Houses were hit by bombing in Rafah Photo: JN
Sirens could be heard on the border between Israel and Lebanon, warning of shots and explosions. Hezbollah fired rockets into Israeli territory.
Following the publication of images showing Hamas tunnels in the basement of AlShifa Hospital, Israeli soldiers arrested the hospital’s director, Mohammed Abu Salmiya. He was transferred to Israel for questioning.
According to the Israeli army, evidence was found linking the doctor to the hospital’s use as a Hamas command center. The Hamas Ministry of Health stopped evacuating the injured from Al Shifa and asked the United Nations for a quick solution to release the hospital director.
The Israeli government says it has received a list of the names of those expected to be released this Friday and has already notified their families.
An operations room in Doha, Qatar, will monitor compliance with the agreement and have direct communications lines with Israel, Hamas and the Red Cross.