The four-day humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas took effect on Friday, November 24. The truce, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, officially started at 7 am local time in Gaza after 48 devastating days of Israeli bombardment and ground assaults which resulted in the murder of close to 15,000 Palestinians, including more than 5,000 children and 3,000 women, and injuries to 33,000 people. Reports noted that Palestinians who had been displaced to the southern part of Gaza were slowly starting to return home to the north to try and salvage whatever little might be left of their property and belongings. Qatar has said that it will closely monitor the truce for any violations.
Media reports indicated instances of Israeli security forces trying to prevent Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza by firing tear gas canisters at them, and even attacking them with live ammunition. Additionally, they also dropped leaflets from the air in Southern Gaza to warn Palestinian civilians from traveling to the North. Many Palestinians reportedly still managed to cross over and reach the North despite the threats.
Egyptian authorities said close to 200 trucks carrying tons of food and medical supplies, along with more than 140,000 liters of fuel and hundreds of liters of gas entered via the Rafah crossing. These resources are vital to hospitals and medical centers treating tens of thousands of Palestinians injured in the Israeli bombardment. Egypt has said that more than 200 of these aid trucks will enter Gaza daily during the period of the truce.
24 captives held in Gaza were released in exchange for 39 Palestinian prisoners. As part of the deal, 50 Israeli and foreign hostages will be released in exchange for around 200 Palestinian prisoners. The truce will be extended by one extra day for every 10 Israeli hostages released by Hamas and the other Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza.
Even as the truce was taking effect as well as in the hours preceding it, Israeli forces intensified their bombardment and ground attacks in Gaza, killing and injuring scores of civilians. The United Nations has said that the Israeli forces ferociously attacked Gaza from “the air, the land, and sea” in the 24-hour period, resulting in dozens of casualties. Israeli forces also continued their violent and illegal military raids on the occupied West Bank.
