Live update: The truce in Gaza enters into force

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – The truce in the Gaza Strip entered into force at seven in the morning local time in the Strip (eight in the morning in Mecca), according to what the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday, as part of the agreement brokered by Doha, Cairo and Washington, and that the release of… Hostages being held by the Hamas movement will begin at four o’clock in the evening on the same day, and the following are the latest developments:

– It appears that the implementation of the truce between Israel and Hamas has begun, despite the barrage of Israeli artillery fire and rocket warning sirens that sounded in the minutes after the truce entered into force. CNN journalists in Sderot, southern Israel, said that the sounds of heavy weapons fire stopped for about an hour. 7:18 AM local time.

– A CNN team in the Sderot area of ​​southern Israel said they continued to hear a “loud bang” that sounded like Israeli artillery fire landing in Gaza, up to 15 minutes after the expected truce that was scheduled to go into effect at 7 a.m. local time.

– The Israeli army announces the sound of warning sirens of possible missiles that sounded in Israeli towns near Gaza about 15 minutes after the start of the truce.

An Israeli official told CNN that 39 Palestinians will be released from prisons on Friday, as part of an agreement between Israel and Hamas to release hostages from Gaza, pointing out that the Palestinians will be transferred from two prisons (Damoun and Megiddo), both in southeastern Haifa, and transferred them to Ofer Prison, south of Ramallah in the West Bank, for final examinations by the Red Cross, and from there they will be transferred via the nearby Beitunia crossing to their towns and villages in the West Bank.

The Israeli army spokesman for the Arab media, Avichay Adraee, explained in a post on his page on the It is not densely populated and administrative and logistical movements will continue on the Netzarim axis and the coastal road. Including that the movement of residents from the south of the Gaza Strip to its north will not be allowed in any way, but only from the north to the south. Also, uncoordinated movement of trucks from the south of the Gaza Strip to its north will not be allowed.” .

The head of the Palestinian Authority for Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs, Fares Qaddoura, told CNN that he has not yet received a list of the names of people expected to be released on Friday, indicating that he expects about 30 to 35 people to be released tomorrow as a first group, pointing out that all prisoners will be released. At the Beitunia checkpoint, located south of the city of Ramallah in the West Bank.

In a statement to CNN, Mark Regev, senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said: “Like US President Joe Biden, I think the Israelis are waiting for this to happen with hope, and we will see the return of 13 Israelis tomorrow. This is our hope, but we have to wait and see. We… “We know who we are dealing with. Hamas is a brutal and ruthless terrorist organization and we must be prepared for the unexpected.”

– The death toll in Gaza as a result of Israeli attacks since October 7: 14,854 people, including 5,850 children, according to information from Hamas authorities in the Strip, while the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, which takes its data from hospitals and other sources in the Strip, estimated Gaza, the death toll reached 12,700 in its report issued on Monday.