Israel-Hamas cease-fire, hostage exchange to begin Thursday: Report

(NewsNation) — Israel and Hamas agreed to a temporary cease-fire Tuesday that will see the release of some 50 hostages who were taken during the Oct. 7 attack carried out by Hamas militants.

Egyptian officials said the first group of Israeli hostages will reportedly be released to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross at about 5 p.m. local time on Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The cease-fire will allegedly begin at 10 a.m. local time Thursday, the report said. Mothers and children who are being released won’t be separated from each other, officials said.

It’s something people worldwide have been waiting and protesting for, and now, it’s finally happening.

In exchange for the hostages, Israel agreed to pause its air and ground operations in the region for a minimum of four days.

As part of the deal, 150 Palestinian prisoners, including women and children, will be released from Israeli jails, Hamas said. The deal also allows humanitarian aid and fuel for civilians in Gaza.

Hamas will release 50 of its approximately 240 hostages over the course of those four days, the Israeli government announced, starting with women and children. Mothers and children who are being released won’t be separated from each other, officials said.

The cease-fire would then extend an additional day for every 10 hostages released.

The big question that remains is who will be released. Hostage families have no clue, and all they can do is hold onto hope that it will be their loved ones.

“One side, I’m, I’m happy. Second, I’m worried. OK, because nobody told me that my family will be in this deal,” said Gilad Korngold, who has seven missing family members believed to have been taken as hostages into Gaza by Hamas.

Three Americans — two women and a child about to turn 4 years old — could potentially be among those initially released.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the pause will not end the war.

“Outside there is a lot of nonsense talk, as if after we cease (fire), for the release of the hostages, we will stop the war. I would like to clarify: we are at war, and we will continue to fight, continue to fight until we reach all our goals,” he said.

Israel and the U.S. have been in talks for weeks, with Qatar acting as an intermediary in discussions with Hamas. Roughly 240 people were taken hostage during the Oct. 7 attack, and 33 of those being held are believed to be children. Many of those held are also foreign nationals or dual citizens who hold passports from other countries.

Hamas previously released four hostages: an American mother and daughter, Judith and Natalie Raanan, and two elderly Israeli women, Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85. Israeli special forces rescued a sixth hostage, a member of the military, Pvt. Ori Megidish. Two hostages, 19-year-old soldier Noa Marciano and 65-year-old Yehudit Weiss, were found dead by Israeli forces.

Previous efforts at a deal have fallen through. President Joe Biden and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani expressed optimism in recent days, hinting the deal was on the horizon even as Israeli leaders remained more cautious in their statements until the final deal was announced.

The Hill and The Associated Press contributed to this report.