Qatar announced on Wednesday that it has made a deal between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas to start a four-day truce in Gaza along with an exchange of hostages between the two sides.
The Qatar foreign ministry statement said the temporary ceasefire is set to begin within the next 24 hours and will last four days, with the possibility of an extension. It marks a rare pause in tensions after recent clashes in Gaza.
As part of the agreement, Hamas will release 50 women and children civilians held hostage in Gaza, in return for Israel releasing an unspecified number of Palestinian women and child prisoners initially, to be increased later. The deal excludes any military prisoners from the exchange.
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A spokesperson close to Qatar’s prime minister added that during the period when hostages are moved out of the area, Israel will also temporarily halt aerial reconnaissance activities over Gaza.
The deal represents a small but important step aimed at building trust between historic opponents Israel and Hamas. Qatar has positioned itself as an influential regional mediator in the long-running Middle East conflict, hosting negotiations and arranging past ceasefires.
Analysts say the pause will provide desperately needed humanitarian relief, but warn that achieving a sustained Gaza peace and prisoner swaps requires addressing underlying disagreements over Israeli blockade policies and Palestinian political demands.
