Topline
A four-day ceasefire took effect in Gaza Friday morning as scheduled—the first time fighting has stopped since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7—with humanitarian aid and fuel tanks arriving in the strip as Hamas prepares to release the first 13 Israeli hostages of 50 in total who are expected to be freed during the temporary pause in fighting.
Thousands of displaced Palestinians go to check on their homes as the 4-day humanitarian pause … [+] begins for prisoner exchange and aid in Khan Yunis, Gaza on November 24.
Key Facts
The temporary pause took effect at 7:00 a.m. local time Friday, and heavy fighting was reported through the start of the ceasefire, with CNN reporting the sounds of “heavy weapons fire” continued in Gaza until approximately 7:18 a.m.
The Israeli military released a video ahead of the pause that declared the “war is not over yet,” as translated by BBC News, and warned residents in Gaza that travel was only allowed from the northern part of the strip — which is still a “dangerous war zone” — to the south, where humanitarian zones are located.
Aid trucks began entering Gaza from Egypt approximately 90 minutes after the ceasefire began, according to Reuters footage cited by the Guardian, with the Egyptian government noting Friday that 200 trucks containing food, medicine and water will be allowed into Gaza each day of the ceasefire.
Under the terms of the deal, 130,000 liters of fuel will be allowed into Gaza each day as well, the Egyptian government said Friday.
Thirteen hostages are scheduled to be released by Hamas at 4:00 p.m. local time Friday (9:00 a.m. eastern time), who are expected to consist of women and children under 19 — the first of 50 such hostages expected to be released over the four-day period under the terms of the deal, while Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners.
Palestinians are now allowed to leave Gaza and enter Egypt during the ceasefire for the first time since fighting began, after previous negotiations only resulted in foreign passport holders being allowed to leave, and Palestinians who haven’t been in Gaza since the fighting began will also be allowed to enter through Egypt.
What We Don’t Know
It’s still unclear how the four-day pause will play out, with BBC News noting there are still “many things that could go wrong.” Israeli forces could track down a sought-after Hamas leader and be unwilling to stick to the pause in fighting in order to go after them, or a surge in people trying to travel north despite the Israeli military’s orders, to retrieve belongings or bury dead loved ones, could result in the military taking action. Palestinian media reported Friday that at least seven people trying to get to northern Gaza have already been injured by Israeli troops.
What To Watch For
Names of the Israeli hostages being released Friday have not been disclosed yet, but the group of 50 hostages slated to be released during the ceasefire will reportedly include at least three Americans, including three-year-old Avigail Idan, whose parents were killed by Hamas on October 7. While the ceasefire is expected to stay in effect for four days, there is an additional provision that allows for a one-day pause in fighting for each additional 10 hostages Hamas releases. Approximately 240 total Israeli and foreign hostages are being held by Hamas. Though a major step in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the ceasefire is also not expected to bring an end to the fighting past the temporary pause, with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant saying Thursday the war is expected to continue for “at least two more months.” “This will be a brief pause. When it ends, the fighting will continue forcefully, and will create pressure that will allow the return of more hostages,” Gallant said Thursday while visiting Israeli troops, as quoted by CNN.
Big Number
14,854. That’s the total number of people who have been killed in Gaza since the fighting began, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said Thursday, including 5,850 children. Approximately 1,200 people were killed during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in Israel.
Key Background
The Qatari government announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas, working through intermediaries, had reached a deal for a temporary pause in fighting, marking a major development after weeks of fighting and the increasing devastation in Gaza had ramped up calls for a ceasefire. Officials initially said the ceasefire would take effect on Thursday, but the temporary truce was delayed until Friday as negotiations continued over its terms and logistics. The humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza during the ceasefire comes after Israel had cut off deliveries of fuel and necessary goods and electricity to Gaza during the fighting, with BBC News noting only 1,399 truck loads of humanitarian supplies were allowed into the strip between Oct. 21 and Nov. 21 — down from an average of 10,000 allowed each month before fighting broke out. Though the ceasefire has been hailed as a positive development, Oxfam told BBC News the amount of aid that will flow into Gaza during the ceasefire is still not “nearly enough” and Gaza residents telling the New York Times the temporary pause is welcome but will not solve their problems. “This deal is not a truce; it’s resting time for the soldiers,” 17-year-old Firas al-Derby told the Times, adding the deal will still not allow his mother to resume her cancer treatments that were halted.
Further Reading
Temporary Gaza Ceasefire Will Begin Friday Morning, Qatar Says (Forbes)
