The truce is expected to begin in the morning and 13 people detained by Hamas are expected to be released in the afternoon, a Qatari official said.
A four-day truce between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas will begin Friday morning and civilian prisoners are expected to be released from the Gaza Strip later in the day, a spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said the four-day truce would begin at 7:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) and 13 captives held by Hamas would be released at 4:00 p.m. (1400 GMT) with the arrival of increased humanitarian aid. Gaza “as soon as possible”.
“Hostages from the same families will be grouped together in the same batch,” he declared.
“Each day will include a certain number of civilians, as agreed, for a total of 50 over the four days. »
Palestinians would be released from Israeli prisons as part of the deal, which also includes a cessation of hostilities in Gaza, he said.
Israel and Hamas, at war since October 7, announced on Wednesday an agreement allowing the release of at least 50 prisoners in Gaza and dozens of Palestinian prisoners during the truce.
The first 13 prisoners expected to be released by Hamas are women and children, and al-Ansari said that while he could not disclose the number of Palestinian prisoners who will be released on Friday, he said the agreement was “reciprocal, so we expect a release must also take place on the Israeli side.”
Al-Ansari also said that the Red Cross was coordinating with all parties involved in the release of captives held in Gaza.
“Our main goal here is the safety of the hostages,” he said.
Hamas’ military wing confirmed in a statement on Telegram that the four-day truce would begin at 7 a.m.
During the truce, all military actions by Hamas’s Qassam Brigades and Israeli forces would cease, the statement added.
The Israeli prime minister’s office said Israel had received an initial list of hostages to be released from Gaza.
“The relevant authorities are verifying the details of the list and are currently in contact with all families,” the statement said.
The announcement comes after nearly seven weeks of devastating fighting after Hamas launched attacks on southern Israel on October 7 that killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials, and took more than 240 hostages.
In Israel, families of those taken hostage pleaded for the return of their loved ones. Many people from other countries were also captured during the assault.
Israel responded to Hamas attacks with a devastating attack on the besieged Gaza Strip, severely limiting access to food, electricity and fuel for its more than 2.3 million residents and destroying entire neighborhoods during a relentless bombardment as Israeli ground forces battle Hamas fighters. northern Gaza.
Palestinian authorities said at least 14,532 people were killed in the Israeli attack, including 6,000 children, and that humanitarian conditions had deteriorated sharply due to the siege and constant bombing. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced with few options to seek refuge in the densely populated Gaza Strip.
While humanitarian organizations stress that only a permanent ceasefire can address the catastrophic scale of civilian suffering in Gaza, many Palestinians, exhausted after weeks of relentless bombardment, welcomed the pause as a well-deserved respite.
Speaking to Tel Aviv Tribune after the truce was announced on Wednesday, Gaza resident Khaled Loz said he planned to use the truce to catch up.
“That’s the first thing I want to do,” he said. “I’m tired of all this incessant bombardment.”
