Israeli media on Friday reported the transfer of 24 Palestinian female detainees and 15 males to Ofer prison near the West Bank city of Ramallah in anticipation of a prisoner swap with Hamas following an agreed four-day humanitarian pause.
In response, Palestinian group Hamas said they are ready to release all captives from the Oct. 7 incursion if Israel releases all Palestinian prisoners
A four-day cease-fire in the Israel-Palestine conflict began Friday morning in Gaza as part of an agreement that Qatar helped broker.
The deal also includes the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinians held by Israel, which was to begin later Friday.
With the deal, comes increased shipments of fuel and supplies into Gaza – though still only enough to dent the needs of the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza who have endured weeks of Israeli bombardment, according to aid groups.
Israel has agreed to allow the delivery of 130,000 liters (34,300 gallons) of fuel a day into besieged Gaza for humanitarian needs for the duration of the truce.
Israeli strikes have killed more than 14,850 Palestinians so far – overwhelmingly women and children – which includes 6,150 children and over 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave, after a dayslong pause in its casualty report, which it attributed to the health system's collapse in northern Gaza making it impossible to provide a detailed count.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will press ahead with the war after the cease-fire expires. As Palestinian deaths mount by the hour, the figure of 1,200 people being killed in Israel remains the same, who mostly died during the initial incursion by Hamas.
