On November 22, Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day cease-fire in the war in Gaza. The temporary halt will facilitate the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas militants as well as Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. It will also allow an influx of aid to the besieged territory, officials say.
The announcement capped weeks of negotiations to free some of the roughly 240 hostages taken by Hamas. The truce raised hopes of eventually winding down the war, which was triggered by Hamas’ October 7 rampage into southern Israel. Now in its seventh week, the fighting has leveled vast swaths of Gaza and stirred fears of a wider conflict across the Middle East.
The Persian Gulf nation of Qatar announced the deal. Egypt’s state-run TV channel said the truce would take effect at 10 o’clock a.m. local time on November 23. Both countries, along with the United States, helped mediate the deal between Israel and Hamas.
Reports on the deal said that 50 hostages held by Hamas will be freed in stages. They will be exchanged for 150 Palestinian prisoners. Both sides will release women and children first.
Israel says that the truce will be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed by Hamas.
Israel’s Justice Ministry published a list of 300 prisoners eligible to be let out as part of the deal. Many are teenagers detained over the past year for offenses such as rock-throwing.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will resume the war after the truce. He says Israel will keep fighting “until we achieve all our goals.” Those include the destruction of Hamas’ fighting and governing abilities and the return of all hostages.
Residents in Gaza City say the fighting there intensified Tuesday night into Wednesday. They reported gunfire, heavy artillery, and airstrikes in central neighborhoods. “Apparently [the fighters] want to advance before the truce,” says Nasser al-Sheikh. He is sheltering with relatives in the city.
Palestinian militants continued firing rockets at Israel throughout the day on Wednesday.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is Qatar’s prime minister and top diplomat. He says he hopes the deal will eventually lead to a permanent cease-fire and “serious talks” on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
