Hamas and Israel have agreed to a four-day humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip, which can be extended, following successful joint mediation efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. The truce is expected to facilitate the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas, as well as Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The agreement also includes the exchange of 50 civilian women and children prisoners in the Gaza Strip in the first phase, in exchange for the release of some Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons. The truce will allow the entry of a larger number of humanitarian convoys and relief aid, including fuel designated for humanitarian needs. More than 14,532 people, including over 6,000 children, have been killed by the Israeli aggression against the besieged Gaza Strip in the past 46 days. The number of injured has exceeded 33,000, 75% of whom are children and women. The government media office in Gaza reported that the number of missing persons had risen to 7,000, including 4,700 children and women. The number of victims among medical personnel increased to 205. Palestinian media reported that three premature babies were killed Wednesday in Kamal Adwan Hospital following a power outage due to running out of fuel and the inability to operate the oxygen station. The government media office called for supplying all governorates of the Gaza Strip with the necessary fuel, especially the operation of all hospitals and crews that provide humanitarian services, such as civil defence, rescue, relief and emergency crews, and municipalities to operate water networks, wells, sewage, and all relevant institutions within the framework of managing the lives of citizens in all governorates. Qatar, Egypt, and the United States have mediated a four-day humanitarian truce between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip, which can be extended. The truce is expected to facilitate the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas, as well as Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The agreement includes the exchange of 50 civilian women and children prisoners in the Gaza Strip in the first phase, in exchange for the release of some Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons. The truce will allow the entry of a larger number of humanitarian convoys and relief aid, including fuel designated for humanitarian needs. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen announced on Wednesday that the release of the first batch of Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip will begin on Thursday. Cohen told Israeli Army Radio: "Tomorrow (Thursday) the release of the first batch of Israeli hostages will begin," without revealing a specific time for the start of the process of releasing the prisoners. Cohen explained that the truce is not a ceasefire, but a 4-day truce aimed at liberating Israeli abductees. Al-Quds Brigades said that its forces targeted with Tandom and RPG shells "4 Zionist military vehicles" in the advance axes in Beit Hanoun, west of Beit Lahia, and around the Sheikh Zayed Towers, north of the Gaza Strip. Al-Quds Brigades said earlier on Wednesday that they targeted, with mortar shells, an Israeli engineering force on foot behind the berm east of Al-Sanati in Gaza. Palestinian media reported that violent clashes were taking place between the resistance and the occupation forces in the Al-Sabra neighbourhood in Gaza. Moreover, the Israeli occupation army announced the death of one of its soldiers and the serious wounding of another in the Gaza Strip. Sirens also sounded in the city of Eilat and the "Gaza envelope" settlements.
