The four-day cease-fire between Israel and Hamas kicked off on Friday morning, as announced by Qatar on Thursday. The cease-fire, commenced at 7 am local time, will witness the release of 13 women and children hostages at 4 pm.
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, disclosed that the list of captives earmarked for release has been shared with Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service. The reciprocal exchange of lists between the two parties is a crucial step before the release process can begin.
“The confirmation of both lists is pivotal to initiate the process of freeing people,” emphasized Al-Ansari, as reported by the Press.
Under the deal outlined earlier, 150 Palestinian prisoners would be released from Israeli jails. The prisoners concerned are women and children, Hamas said Wednesday, adding that the agreement also involves the entry of hundreds of trucks carrying aid relief, medical supplies and fuel to all parts of the besieged territory. The Israeli government on Wednesday published a list of 300 Palestinian prisoners for possible release, as Israel is offering a potential second phase of exchanges.
The list includes the ages of the prisoners, and the charges on which they are being held – throwing stones and “harming regional security” are among the most common. Others are listed as detained for supporting illegal terror organizations, illegal weapons charges, incitement, and at least two accusations of attempted murder.