Mediator Qatar has announced that a four-day ceasefire The conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip-based Palestinian group Hamas is set to begin at 7 a.m. local time (05:00 GMT) on Friday.

The brief lull in fighting, which has continued since October 7, was welcomed after weeks of intense bombardment worsen Humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

What does the deal entail, how will it develop and what can we expect in the coming days?

When does the ceasefire start?

This was said by Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Qatar, which has played a key role in mediating between the two sides the ceasefire would take effect at 7 a.m. (05:00 GMT) on Friday.

At 16:00 (14:00 GMT), a group of 13 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are released.

What is included in the offer?

The key elements are a pause in fighting, the exchange of Hamas prisoners for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, and the suspension of air traffic over northern Gaza at certain times of the day and over southern Gaza completely.

How will the hostages and prisoners be released?

Within four days, Hamas will release 50 women and children out of about 240 people captured by the group during its attack on southern Israel on October 7.

In return, Israel will release a total of 150 imprisoned Palestinian women and children Israeli prisonswho have long described Palestinians as victims of an Israeli occupation that forces them into prisons without due process.

Israel has provided a list of about 300 Palestinian prisoners who may be released. None of them were charged with murder and many of them were arbitrarily detained without trial. Israel has said its armed forces will ban celebrations their release.

Israeli Army Radio said the first group of 39 Palestinian prisoners will be released at around 8:00 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Friday, and that this will only happen if the hostages held in Gaza are on Israeli soil .

Israel has said the pause will be extended by one day for every 10 more hostages released. Qatar has also said that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will work in Gaza to facilitate the release process.

In a statement Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel had received a list of those released and notified them Familys.

The development has brought Relief for some, but despair for others.

What about armed activities?

Asked about the status of armed activity under the deal, Qatari chief negotiator Mohammed Al-Khulaifi said there would be “no attack whatsoever.”

“No military movements, no expansion, nothing,” he said.

Hamas said Israel had agreed to suspend air traffic over the northern Gaza Strip from 10:00 a.m. (08:00 GMT) to 4:00 p.m. (2:00 GMT) every day and over the southern Gaza Strip for the entire duration of the ceasefire.

The group said Israel had agreed not to attack or arrest anyone in Gaza and that people gathered on Salah al-Din Street, the main road through which many Palestinians have fled the northern Gaza Strip, where Israel launched its ground invasion. can move freely.

Hamas also said that it armed wing and all other “Palestinian factions” will cease “all military activity” when the ceasefire takes effect.

The group said 200 aid trucks and four tankers are being allowed into the Gaza Strip daily as Palestinian civilians suffer a humanitarian crisis caused by weeks of Israeli bombings and strict restrictions Access to foodFuel, electricity and water.

Is this the end of the fighting?

Probably not. While countries like QatarWhile humanitarian groups and world leaders expressed hope that the ceasefire could pave the way for a long-term ceasefire, both Israel and Hamas have expressed their intention to continue fighting.

On Thursday, a spokesman for Hamas’ armed wing, Abu Obeida, said Palestinian fighters remained ready to confront Israeli forces as long as the war lasted and called for resistance to Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant described the upcoming pause as a “short reprieve … at the end of which the fighting will continue intensely and we will apply pressure to bring back more hostages” in an interview with a naval special forces unit on Thursday.

“At least another two months of combat operations are expected,” he said.

This week, Netanyahu said the deal was more of a pause than an end to the war.

“We are at war and we will continue the war,” he said. “We will continue until we achieve all of our goals.”