Israel to extend truce by one day for every extra 10 people freed

Medical equipment scattered outside the Indonesian Hospital after a raid by Israeli troops. Pics/AP

A four-day truce in the Israel-Hamas war took effect early Friday. Both sides will release women and children first. Israel said the truce would be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed.

The halt in fighting promised some relief for Gaza's 2.3 million people, who have endured weeks of Israeli bombardment, as well as families in Israel fearful for the fate of loved ones taken captive during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.

The cease-fire kicked off at 7 am local time (0500 GMT) and is to last at least four days. During this period, Gaza's ruling Hamas group pledged to free at least 50 of the about 240 hostages it and other militants took on Oct 7. Hamas said Israel would free 150 Palestinian prisoners.

A first group of 13 women and children held by Hamas were freed Friday afternoon, according to Majed al-Ansari, the spokesman of the Qatari foreign ministry. Three Palestinian prisoners, also women and minors, are to be released for every freed hostage. Israel's Justice Ministry published a list of 300 prisoners eligible to be released.

IDF kills Hamas Naval leader Amar Abu Jallah

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) eliminated the commander of Hamas's Khan Yunis naval force, Amar Abu Jallah. Abu Jallah was killed in an air strike. Amar Abu Jallah said the Israel Defence Forces were involved from the beginning of the fighting in Gaza in sending a number of attempted naval attacks that were thwarted by Israeli forces. Also, among other things, under the direction of an IDF naval intelligence ship, weapons warehouses, tunnel sites near the coast, training posts and observation posts of Hamas were located and destroyed.

‘War to continue for at least 2 more months'

Experts say after a short pause from Friday, fighting will resume with intensity for at least two months, The Times of Israel has reported. Ahead of the slated lull in fighting, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that once the "short" temporary truce with Hamas ends, the military campaign would resume "with intensity" for at least two more months.

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