Israel and Hamas agree to a temporary four-day cease-fire. The agreement calls for the release of 50 people held hostage by Hamas, and in return Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stresses that this does not mean the war is over – rather, it will continue “until we achieve all our goals“.
The agreement between the parties was approved by Israel after a long meeting on Wednesday night, Swedish time. It means that Israeli women and children held hostage by Hamas will be released over the next four days, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, according to Reuters.
The Qatari government says that 50 civilian women and children held hostage in Gaza will be released in exchange for “a number of Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons”.
The ceasefire is also expected to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, including medical assistance, according to Palestinian groups.
Netanyahu is clear that this does not mean the end of the war, but that the struggle will continue until all goals are achieved.
– We are at war and we will continue the war until we achieve all our goals. To destroy Hamas, return all our hostages and ensure that no entity in Gaza can threaten Israel, he says.
Hamas also confirms the agreement, but adds that it will “remain on the look out to defend our people”.
“As we announce the striking of a truce agreement, we affirm that our fingers remain on the trigger, and our victorious fighters will remain on the look out to defend our people and defeat the occupation”, they said in a statement.
At the time of writing, it is unclear exactly when the ceasefire will begin, but it is expected to be announced within the next 24 hours.
