Deal permits further pause in battling for every ten hostages freed
The details announced today by Qatar, the mediators, are broadly consistent with the overall framework of this hard-won hostage deal.
From 5 am GMT tomorrow, a four-day pause in the fighting in Gaza is due to begin. From 2 pm GMT, the first group of 13 Israeli hostages are expected to be released by Hamas and handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross
As soon as they’re out, Israel will release 39 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. If all goes well, this process should be repeated over three more days until 50 hostages are released in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners and a substantial increase in aid and fuel for Gaza.
Israel has made it clear it intends to continue attacking Hamas after that, something opposed by all the countries in the region.
However, the deal does allow for a further one-day extension to the pause in fighting for every additional batch of 10 hostages released.
There is still much that could go wrong, but this is the closest the hostage families have come yet to being reunited with their loved ones.
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