Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on 22 November, announcing a four-day cessation of hostilities to facilitate the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza, 150 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, and the entry of humanitarian aid. “Tonight, the government has approved the outline of the first stage of achieving this goal, according to which at least 50 hostages – women and children – will be released over four days, during which a pause in the fighting will be held,” explained a statement released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. “The release of every additional ten hostages will result in one additional day in the pause,” the statement added. In a separate statement, Hamas welcomed the truce as an opportunity to “provide relief” and medical aid for Gazans stuck in the war’s crossfire. It remains unclear when the first batch of Israeli hostages are to be released, but cabinet sources were informed the first release is expected on 23 November, according to a report by Israel’s Channel 12. The International Committee of the Red Cross would facilitate the release of hostages within Gaza during the truce. The negotiations, primarily mediated by…
