Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Announced: Here's All We Know So Far About The First Truce In Over Six Weeks

In a significant development, Israel and Hamas have reached a temporary truce after more than six weeks of intense warfare.

Under the ceasefire deal approved by the Israeli government on Wednesday, Hamas has agreed to release 50 women and children.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that this ceasefire does not mark the end of the war.

He emphasised that the conflict will persist until Hamas is completely eradicated and all hostages are safely returned.

"We are at war and we will continue the war until we achieve all our goals. To destroy Hamas, return all our hostages and ensure that no entity in Gaza can threaten Israel," Netanyahu said before the war cabinet voted on the deal.

Qatar officials facilitated the agreement between Israel and Hamas, with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledging the assistance of US President Joe Biden in ensuring the deal prioritised the release of more hostages and minimised concessions.

Here's what we know so far about the Israel-Hamas ceasefire

1. There will finally be a break in the continuous bombardment by Israeli forces of Hamas targets, allowing for the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

2. During the four-day ceasefire, Hamas would release 50 women and children.

3. The exact start date of the truce was uncertain, but the hostages would begin to be released on Thursday.

5. Hamas, in its statement welcoming the humanitarian truce, announced that 150 Palestinians would be freed from Israeli jails as part of the agreement.

After an all-night meeting, both sides confirmed their agreement.

Netanyahu acknowledged that it was a challenging decision, but ultimately the right one.

However, he encountered opposition from members of his war cabinet who believed that the agreement would grant "too much" to Hamas.

Who are the individuals being held hostage?

Around 240 individuals were captured by Hamas following their terror attack on Israel on 7 October. The majority of the hostages were attendees of a music festival that Hamas specifically targeted.

Israel's government has stated that in addition to Israeli citizens, over half of the hostages held dual citizenship from around 40 countries including the US, Thailand, Britain, France, Argentina, Germany, Chile, Spain, and Portugal.

Hamas has released four captives to date. On 20 October, US citizens Judith Raanan, 59, and her daughter, Natalie Raanan, 17, were released for "humanitarian reasons". Additionally, on 23 October, Israeli women Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, were also released by Hamas.

During their ground invasion, Israeli forces successfully freed Ori Megidish, a soldier held hostage. The Israeli military also announced that they had discovered the remains of two hostages in Gaza City, one of whom was identified as 19-year-old soldier Noa Marciano.