13 Hostages, Including Women and Children, Freed in First Phase
Fierce Clashes as Ceasefire Nears
Both Sides Express Willingness to Expand the War
A temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is set to begin at 7 a.m. (local time, 2 p.m. KST) on the 24th. Despite being only hours away from the ceasefire, both Israel and Hamas continued their intense battles.
According to Reuters on the 23rd (local time), Qatar, mediating the ceasefire, announced that a three-day ceasefire would begin on the morning of the 24th.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry stated that with the start of the ceasefire, the fighting in the northern and southern parts of Gaza would cease, and relief goods would begin to enter the Gaza Strip.
Ceasefire Terms and Hostage Releases
When the ceasefire begins at 4 p.m. on the 24th, Israel will release thirteen hostages, including women and children. Over four days, a total of 50 hostages will be released. Israel will also release Palestinians imprisoned in its jails.
The world welcomed the ceasefire. However, Israel and Hamas continued their intense battles even with the ceasefire looming. Israeli fighter jets attacked over 300 targets, continuing a battle more intense than usual. Fierce fighting continued around the Jabalia refugee camp in the north of Gaza City, and the Israeli military announced it would continue military operations until they received orders to stop.
Hamas announced that Israel’s attack on a school operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Jabalia resulted in 30 deaths. Additionally, Palestinian local media reported the bombing of the southern city of Khan Yunis in Gaza by Israel, which killed at least 15 people.
Both Sides Prepared to Escalate
Both sides raised their voices, prepared to escalate the war once the ceasefire ends. Abu Ubaida, a spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, mentioned the temporary truce in a video but urged “to escalate the confrontation with Israel on all resistance fronts, including the West Bank.”
The Israeli military also ignited their will to fight. An Israeli military spokesperson stated, “The control of northern Gaza is the first stage of a long-term battle, and we are preparing for the next stage.”
The U.S. plans to focus on additional hostage releases. A U.S. State Department official stated, ‘This is a hopeful moment, but our work is not yet done,’ and added, ‘We will continue working over the next few weeks to release all remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip.
According to Palestinian health authorities, approximately 13,000 residents of the Gaza Strip have lost their lives due to Israeli bombings, 40% of whom are children.
Meanwhile, Israel has arrested doctors, including Abu Salmiya Al-Shifa, the director of Al-Shifa, the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip. Israel plans to investigate the role of the hospital director concerning Hamas using the hospital as a command center. Hamas criticized the Israeli military for arresting medical staff trying to evacuate patients and the injured from the facility.
By. Yoon Ju Hae
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