Israel, Gaza begin four-day ceasefire after nearly 7 weeks of bloody war

Friday saw the beginning of a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas in a war that has been raging for almost 50 days. The ceasefire, which was brokered by Qatar, will see a four-day pause in the warfare and the release of hostages from both sides, reported AP. In the picture you can see displaced Palestinians returning home after being evacuated by the Israeli military during the conflict. (Reuters)

A Palestinian official was quoted by Reuters as saying that Israel will free 24 women and 15 teenage males under the truce deal. According to Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari, the first group of 13 women and children held by Hamas would be freed on Friday. The picture shows Gaza residents holding Friday prayers during the ceasefire. (Reuters)

The first Israeli women and children to go free from Gaza on Friday under a truce with their Hamas captors will be flown home under military guard, with measures meant to reduce the duress and attend to any immediate medical complications. (Reuters)

Israel and Hamas agreed on Nov. 22 to a ceasefire in Gaza for at least four days, to let in humanitarian aid and free at least 50 hostages held by militants in the enclave in exchange for at least 150 Palestinians jailed in Israel. However, the ceasefire was delayed for a day as negotiators worked out final details of the deal. You can see two Palestinians embracing each other on day one of the ceasefire. (Reuters)

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on Friday that all hostages in Gaza should be released, including eight French nationals among whom three are children. She further called for a durable peace treaty and application of international law to the conflict. On the streets of Gaza, a displaced Palestinian kid can be seen heading home with supplies in this picture. (Reuters)

AP reports say that the delivery of much needed humanitarian aid in the form of fuel and other supplies to war-torn Gaza is another crucial part of the temporary peace treaty. According to the Qatar-brokered deal, Israel will be permitting the delivery of 130,000 litres of fuel each day during the four days of the ceasefire. (Reuters)

A World Health Organization spokesperson said on Friday that it was working on further evacuations from northern Gaza hospitals as soon as possible as a truce got underway, voicing fears for the safety of those remaining in Al Shifa Hospital, Reuters reported. The picture shows a Palestinian woman preparing fresh bread to greet the hostages that are to be released on Friday. (Reuters)

The death toll in Gaza has crossed over 13,000 while the casualties in Israel stand at 1,200, as per AP reports. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel will continue with the war as soon as the ceasefire duration expires. Israeli tanks in the picture are moving closer to the Israeli border after leaving Gaza for the duration of the truce. (Reuters)