Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement to release dozens of women and children held prisoner in Gaza in exchange for a five-day cease-fire.
According to the Washington Post, the could result in the first sustained pause in the military conflict in Gaza.
As per the tentative agreement, all sides in the war would halt military activities for at least five days while an initial 50 or more hostages are freed in smaller groups every 24 hours, according to the conditions of a six-page deal.
It was unclear how many of the 239 persons thought to be held captive in Gaza would be freed as part of the agreement. To police the halt, aerial surveillance would monitor activities on the ground.
The proposed cease-fire is also meant to enable for a considerable increase of humanitarian aid, particularly gasoline, to reach Gaza from Egypt.
According to Arab and foreign diplomats, the potential compromise was reached during discussions in Doha, Qatar, between Israel, the United States, and Hamas, who were represented indirectly by Qatari mediators.
Late Saturday, an Israeli Embassy official in Washington stated that “we are not going to comment” on any element of the hostage…
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