CAIRO, November 23. /TASS/. The humanitarian truce deal between Hamas and Israel may enter into effect on November 24, a day later than planned, the Al-Qahera al-Ekhbariya TV channel said.
As the channel points out, there is contradictory data about the time when the humanitarian ceasefire begins. Earlier reports said the ceasefire may come into force at 10:00 a.m. local time (8:00 a.m. GMT). Qatar, one of the mediators in the negotiations, was supposed to announce this officially. Now, however, the Qatari foreign ministry says that the deadline for the start of the truce will be announced "in the coming hours."
According to Al-Qahira al-Ekhbariya, the truce between Hamas and Israel will not go into effect until tomorrow morning.
The same was reported by the Al Hadath TV channel. According to it, the delay comes due to the need to process data about the people on the release lists of both sides, as well as the need to work out a sure-fire way to transfer the hostages held by radicals in the Gaza Strip.
Earlier, Hamas reported reaching an agreement with Israel, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, on a humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip for four days. The movement confirmed that the agreements envisage the release of 50 women, children and teenagers held in the enclave in exchange for the release of 150 women, children and teenagers from Israeli prisons.
In turn, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the government had approved the plan to return at least 50 hostages and introduce a humanitarian pause for four days. After it ends, the Israeli army will resume operations in the enclave. In order to release another ten hostages, Israel is willing to cease hostilities for a day, Netanyahu's office noted. More than 200 people are being held by militants, according to the Israeli side.