Israel-Hamas conflict: Temporary ceasefire begins a four-day respite

New Delhi: A temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect early Friday morning, ushering in a four-day break in hostilities that have persisted for the past 48 days, causing extensive damage and loss of lives. The ceasefire, starting at 07:00 am Israel Time (5:00 GMT), marks the first pause in the ongoing conflict.

Israeli Forces are currently stationed at ceasefire lines within the Gaza Strip and in sparsely populated areas. The cessation of gunfire has allowed people to cautiously emerge onto the streets to assess the damage to their homes resulting from the conflict.

Minutes before the commencement of the ceasefire, residents in Gaza were still subjected to the persistent sounds of small arms and mortar fire, accompanied by visible flares in the sky. Even the hum of drones remained audible.

The Israeli army pressed on with their operations within Gaza up until the final moments preceding the temporary pause. During this temporary halt in fighting, residents from the south of Gaza are permitted to move north, while Palestinians in the southern region are restricted from heading north.

Anticipations are high that Hamas will release 13 hostages, initially abducted from Israel last month, with additional releases of Palestinian captives expected to follow. The release of 39 Palestinian prisoners, taken from Damon and Megiddo jails southeast of Haifa, is scheduled for Friday. Subsequently, they will undergo final checks by the Red Cross at Ofer prison, south of Ramallah in the West Bank, as reported by CNN.

A convoy comprising 100 organized trucks, laden with approximately 1,300 tonnes of food supplies, is poised to enter Gaza immediately. However, unorganized aid supplies will not be permitted. The truce allows for the daily entry of 30,000 Liters of diesel, four trucks of gas, and 200 aid trucks.

Qatar, a pivotal mediator, played a crucial role in brokering the temporary truce between Hamas and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), covering both northern and southern regions of the Gaza Strip.

At 16:00 hours, 13 hostages, including women and children, are scheduled for release, with a total of 50 hostages set to be freed over the next four days. This exchange aims not only to secure a pause in fighting but also the release of 150 Palestinians currently held in Israeli prisons.

The increased aid influx into Gaza is expected to bring much-needed relief to locals grappling with shortages of essential items, as stores struggle to keep their shelves stocked.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed that the relatives of the 13 hostages to be released on Friday were informed amid tense moments of expectations and reunion with their loved ones.

Israeli forces will be positioned at the ceasefire line when the pause in fighting takes effect. The deal's terms specify that for every additional 10 hostages released, an extra day will be added to the pause. Notably, Hamas seized more than 200 people in its October 7 attack on southern Israel.

On the ground in Gaza, the Israeli military disclosed the detention of the director of Gaza's al-Shifa hospital. The IDF claims that evidence suggests the facility, under his management, functioned as a Hamas command and control centre, asserting that the director holds valuable information about the hospital's alleged use by Hamas. Hamas denies this claim.

The UN agency chief Philippe Lazzarini emphasised that the four-day ceasefire provides an opportunity to reach people in need, repair civilian infrastructure, and address the escalating humanitarian crisis. Lazzarini, who witnessed "unspeakable suffering" during his second trip to Gaza, called for a prolonged humanitarian ceasefire, indicating that the UN's Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) is prepared to receive over 150 trucks of aid per day.

The conflict, marked by Hamas's October 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages, has seen more than 14,000 casualties in Israel's retaliatory campaign, according to Gaza's health ministry.