Israel and Hamas begin first ceasefire in Gaza
(Baonghean.vn) - Israel and Hamas will begin a four-day ceasefire on the morning of November 24, with Hamas militants releasing the first group of 13 Israeli women and children hostages later in the day. This is considered the first breakthrough in the war that devastated the Gaza Strip.
Qatari mediators said the truce would begin at 7 a.m. local time (12 p.m. November 24 Vietnam time) and include a comprehensive ceasefire in northern and southern Gaza, followed by the release of some of the more than 200 hostages held by Hamas in its October 7 attack on Israel.
However, fighting continued in the hours before the ceasefire, and officials inside the Hamas-controlled area said a hospital in Gaza City was among the bombed targets. Both sides also signaled the pause would only be temporary before fighting resumed.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said in Doha that additional aid would begin flowing into Gaza and the first hostages, including elderly women, would be released at 4 p.m. (9 p.m. Vietnam time), with the number set to rise to 50 in four days.
Meanwhile, Egypt said 130,000 liters of diesel and four truckloads of gas would be delivered to Gaza daily once the ceasefire begins and 200 aid trucks would enter Gaza daily.
A Qatari spokesman told reporters that Palestinians were expected to be released from Israeli prisons, adding: "We all hope that this truce will lead to the opportunity to start more important work to achieve a lasting truce."
Hamas confirmed on its Telegram channel that all hostile actions from its forces would cease.
But Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for Hamas' armed wing, later referred to "this temporary truce" in a video message that called for "an escalation of confrontation with (Israel) on all fronts of resistance", including the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where violence has increased since the Gaza war erupted nearly seven weeks ago.
The Israeli military said its troops would stay behind the ceasefire line inside Gaza, without giving details of their positions.
“These will be complex and uncertain days,” said Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari. “Taking control of northern Gaza is the first step in a long war and we are preparing for the next stages,” he added.
The prime minister's office said Israel had received an initial list of hostages to be released and was contacting the families.
Israel launched an offensive into Gaza after Hamas militants stormed the border fence on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages, according to Israel.
Since then, Israel has bombed the tiny enclave of Gaza, killing some 14,000 people, about 40 percent of them children, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Ahead of the ceasefire, fighting continued with greater intensity than usual on November 23, with Israeli jets attacking more than 300 targets and soldiers engaging in fierce fighting around the Jabalia refugee camp north of Gaza City.
An Israeli military spokesman said the operations would continue until the military received orders to stop.
Gaza health officials say the Indonesian hospital in Gaza City is reeling from relentless bombing, operating without light and overflowing with bedridden elderly and children.
The international community has focused its alarm on the fate of hospitals, particularly in the northern half of Gaza, where all medical facilities have been shut down and patients, staff and homeless people are trapped inside.
Israel says Hamas militants used residential and other civilian buildings, including hospitals, as cover – a claim denied by Hamas.
