Temporary ceasefire begins in Israel-Hamas conflict

New Delhi, Nov 24: A temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas commenced early Friday morning, marking a four-day halt in hostilities starting at 07:00 am Israel Time (5:00 GMT) today.

It is the first pause in the 48 days of ongoing conflict that led to massive shelling, airstrikes, destruction, kidnapping, and killings. Israeli Forces at the time of pause are stationed at the ceasefire lines inside the Gaza Strip as well as in sparsely populated areas.

The echoes of gunfire have subsided, prompting people to venture into the streets to assess the damage to their homes caused by the conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas. However Palestinian people in southern Gaza are not allowed to move north during the temporary halt in fighting, residents from the south can move towards the north.

Minutes before the ceasefire people were still hearing sounds of constant small arms and mortar fire in Gaza, and flares were visible in the sky. Even the hum of the drones could be heard. The Israeli army continued their operations inside Gaza until the last moment ahead of the pause.

Later in the day, it is anticipated that Hamas will release 13 hostages abducted from Israel last month, followed by the release of additional Palestinian captives. 39 Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released on Friday and will be taken from two jails: Damon and Megiddo, both southeast of Haifa in northern Israel. They will then go to Ofer prison, south of Ramallah in the West Bank, for final checks by the Red Cross, CNN reported.

A convoy of organised 100 trucks, carrying approximately 1,300 tonnes of food supplies, is set to enter Gaza immediately. However, unorganised aid supplies will not be allowed. 30,000 litres of diesel and four trucks of gas will be allowed into Gaza each day of the truce, while 200 aid trucks will also go through daily.

Qatar, a pivotal mediator, played a crucial role in brokering the temporary truce between Hamas and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). The truce encompasses both the northern and southern regions of the Gaza Strip.

At 16:00 hours, today, 13 hostages, all women, and children, are slated for release, with a total of 50 hostages to be freed over the next four days. This exchange aims to not only secure a pause in fighting but also the release of 150 Palestinians currently held in Israeli prisons.

The increased aid influx into Gaza is expected to bring much-needed relief to locals grappling with shortages of essential items, as stores struggle to keep their shelves stocked.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed that the relatives of the 13 hostages to be released on Friday were informed amid tense moments of expectations and reunion with their loved ones. Israeli forces will be positioned at the ceasefire line when the pause in fighting takes effect.

The terms of the deal specify that for every additional 10 hostages released, an extra day will be added to the pause. Notably, Hamas seized more than 200 people in its October 7 attack on southern Israel.

On the ground in Gaza, the Israeli military disclosed the detention of the director of Gaza's al-Shifa hospital. According to the IDF, evidence suggests that the facility, under his management, functioned as a Hamas command and control centre asserting that the director is not under indictment and holds valuable information about the hospital's alleged use by Hamas.

The UN agency chief Philippe Lazzarini emphasized that the four-day ceasefire provides an opportunity to reach people in need, repair civilian infrastructure, and address the escalating humanitarian crisis.

Lazzarini, who witnessed "unspeakable suffering" during his second trip to Gaza, yesterday, called for a prolonged humanitarian ceasefire, indicating that the UN's Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) is prepared to receive over 150 trucks of aid daily.

The conflict, marked by Hamas's October 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages, has seen more than 14,000 casualties in Israel's retaliatory campaign, according to Gaza's health ministry.