Captives are expected to be released each day until Monday, during a break in fighting.
US President Joe Biden said there was a “real” chance that the four-day pause in Israel’s war on Gaza could be extended.
“I think the chances are real,” he told reporters Friday, while refusing to speculate on the duration of the war that began Oct. 7 after a surprise Hamas attack in Israel.
“My expectation and my hope is that as we move forward, the rest of the Arab world and the region will also put pressure on all parties to slow this down and end it as quickly as possible,” Biden said, while reiterating his support for Israel.
He stressed that the “elimination” of Hamas remains a “legitimate” mission for Israel.
He said only that he had “encouraged” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to try to limit civilian casualties.
About 15,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed so far in Israeli bombardments following the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel.
Under the terms of the truce, which came into force Friday morning, 50 women and children detained in Gaza are to be released over four days, in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children who are among the thousands imprisoned in Israeli prisons.
On Friday, 39 Palestinians were released in the occupied West Bank in exchange for Hamas’ release of 24 captives, including 13 Israelis. More is expected to be released Saturday afternoon.
After the release of the first prisoners held by Hamas, Biden said: “It’s just the beginning, but so far everything has gone well.” »
Israel and Hamas have vowed they will continue fighting, but Israel has indicated it is willing to extend the truce if more captives are released at a rate of 10 per day – something Biden has said he hopes to see to come true.
Hamas has said the non-civilian Israelis it detains will only be exchanged for thousands of Palestinians languishing in Israeli prisons in harsh conditions, many of whom are held without charge.
Around 200 trucks carrying humanitarian aid also made their way to the besieged enclave as part of the truce on Friday, with the first deliveries to northern Gaza since the start of the war arriving on Saturday.
But the level of destruction remains high in both the north and south of the Gaza Strip, and the United Nations confirmed Friday that Israel had significantly increased its attacks in Gaza before the truce took effect.
