By WAFAA SHURAFA and KAREEM CHEHAYEB (Associated Press)
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — A four-day cease-fire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas will start Friday morning, Qatar mentioned, a day later than initially introduced, as negotiators labored out remaining particulars of the deal, which is to result in the discharge of dozens of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
The diplomatic breakthrough promised some aid for the two.3 million Palestinians in Gaza who’ve endured weeks of Israeli bombardment, in addition to households in Israel fearful for the destiny of their family members taken captive throughout Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault that triggered the warfare.
The cease-fire was initially set to start Thursday morning, nevertheless it appeared to hit a snag the evening earlier than when Israel’s nationwide safety adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, introduced a one-day delay with out offering a purpose.
On Thursday, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari introduced the cease-fire will begin at 7 a.m. native time Friday (5 a.m. GMT.)
He mentioned the 2 sides had exchanged lists of these to be launched, and the primary group of 13 ladies and kids held by Hamas could be freed Friday afternoon. He didn’t say what number of Palestinian prisoners could be freed, however officers have mentioned three could be freed for each hostage.
Increased help for Palestinians will begin to enter Gaza “as soon as possible,” al-Ansari mentioned. The hope is that the “momentum” from this deal will result in an “end to this violence,” he instructed reporters.
The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, in the meantime, resumed its detailed depend of Palestinian casualties from the warfare, saying over 13,300 have been killed. The new numbers weren’t absolutely damaged down, however ladies and minors have persistently made up round two-thirds of the useless in previous tallies.
The figures don’t embrace up to date numbers from hospitals within the north, the place providers and communication largely broke down earlier this month. The ministry says some 6,000 individuals have been reported lacking, feared buried beneath rubble.
The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and militants in its dying tolls. Israel says it has killed hundreds of Hamas fighters, with out presenting proof for its depend.
The ministry had stopped publishing casualty counts as of Nov. 11, saying it had misplaced the power to take action due to the collapse of the well being sector within the north.
The truce settlement raised hopes of ultimately winding down the warfare, which has leveled huge swaths of Gaza, fueled a surge of violence within the occupied West Bank and stirred fears of a wider conflagration throughout the Middle East.
Air-raid sirens sounded throughout northern Israel on Thursday as Hezbollah mentioned it fired 48 Katyusha rockets from southern Lebanon. The barrage got here after an Israeli strike killed 5 Hezbollah fighters, together with the son of the top of the group’s parliamentary bloc.
The Israeli army mentioned it was putting the sources of the launches. Israel and Hezbollah, which fought a monthlong warfare in 2006, have repeatedly traded fireplace throughout the border because the warfare in Gaza broke out.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to proceed the warfare after the truce expires to destroy Hamas’ army capabilities, finish its 16-year rule in Gaza and return all of the estimated 240 captives held in Gaza by Hamas and different teams.
“We will continue it until we achieve all our goals,” Netanyahu mentioned, including that he had delivered the identical message in a cellphone name to U.S. President Joe Biden. Washington has offered intensive army and diplomatic assist to Israel because the begin of the warfare.
The delay in implementing the cease-fire dismayed uprooted Palestinians in Gaza, who hope to make use of the few days of quiet to go to houses they’d fled — or not less than the wreckage of them — and reconnect with households. More than 1.7 million individuals, three-fourths of Gaza’s inhabitants, have been displaced within the warfare.
“We’d been waiting and hoping since yesterday,” mentioned Aya Hamad, who’s sheltering at a hospital within the central metropolis of Deir al Balah. “We wanted to go home to get a change of clothes for our children, even though we know our homes have been bombed … It’s all for nothing.”
Israeli troops maintain a lot of northern Gaza and say they’ve dismantled tunnels and far of Hamas’ infrastructure there. Israeli forces Wednesday revealed what they mentioned was a significant Hamas hideout in a tunnel beneath Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital.
The territory’s largest medical heart has been on the coronary heart of a fierce battle of narratives over each side’ allegedly reckless endangerment of civilians. Hamas and hospital workers deny Israeli allegations that Shifa was used as a militant command heart.
The army mentioned Thursday it detained Shifa’s director, Mohammed Abu Selmia, for questioning over his involvement in what it known as “extensive” Hamas actions within the hospital. Gaza’s Health Ministry known as on worldwide our bodies to intervene and mentioned it might not cooperate with the World Health Organization in evacuating hospitals.
Earlier Thursday, Israel ordered the complete evacuation of the Indonesian Hospital within the north, Dr. Munir al-Boursh, a Health Ministry official inside the ability, instructed Al Jazeera.
Fighting has raged outdoors the hospital for days, and lots of of individuals have already been evacuated to the south. It was unclear if the arrest of Abu Selmia would have an effect on these efforts.
Israeli army spokesman Col. Richard Hecht mentioned fight operations would proceed “until we are given the order to hold our fire.”
Israeli troops have surrounded the Jabaliya refugee camp and known as on any residents inside to evacuate throughout a three-hour window Thursday, he mentioned. The army has mentioned it’s pursuing Hamas fighters in Jabaliya, a dense city district adjoining to Gaza City that has come beneath intense bombardment for weeks.
Israel has threatened to increase its invasion to southern Gaza, the place a lot of the territory’s inhabitants is now situated. More than 1 million individuals, together with lots of of hundreds who fled the north, have crammed into overflowing U.N.-run shelters with dwindling meals, water and fundamental provides.
For Hamas, the cease-fire would supply a possibility to regroup after weeks of apparently heavy losses. Hamas chief Yehya Sinwar, who’s believed to be alive and in hiding in Gaza, is prone to declare the discharge of Palestinian prisoners as a significant achievement and declare victory if the warfare ends.
Under the truce deal, 50 hostages are imagined to be freed in levels, in alternate for the discharge of what Hamas mentioned could be 150 Palestinian prisoners. Women and kids could be launched first, and Israel mentioned the truce could be prolonged an additional day for each further 10 hostages freed.
The return of hostages might raise spirits in Israel, the place their plight has gripped the nation. Families of the hostages have staged mass demonstrations to strain the federal government to deliver them dwelling. Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned it notified the households of hostages listed for launch Friday.
Hamas mentioned 200 vehicles a day will enter Gaza carrying help. Qatar mentioned the help will embrace gasoline, however has given no particulars on portions.
Israel minimize off all imports in the beginning of the warfare, aside from a trickle of meals, water and medical provides allowed in from Egypt. The lack of gasoline has triggered a territory-wide blackout, leaving houses and hospitals reliant on faltering mills.
Israel’s Justice Ministry revealed a listing of 300 prisoners eligible to be launched, primarily youngsters detained over the previous yr for rock-throwing and different minor offenses.
The warfare erupted when a number of thousand Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel, killing not less than 1,200 individuals, principally civilians, and taking scores of hostages, together with infants, ladies and older adults, in addition to troopers, for whom Hamas is predicted to demand numerous high-profile prisoners.
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Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press reporters Najib Jobain in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed.
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Full AP protection at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
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