الكاتب: kafej

A four-day truce in Gaza has come into effect, and an eerie calm not seen in seven weeks hangs over the besieged enclave.

During the four-day pause in hostilities, desperately needed humanitarian aid will be allowed into Gaza.

Palestinian group Hamas says about 200 trucks carrying food, water, medical supplies and fuel will enter the strip daily.

That’s a fraction of the aid brought into Gaza every day before the war.

Then there are logistical challenges and the tight timeframe.

Realistically, how much humanitarian aid can be distributed in just four days?

Presenter: Tom McRae

Guests:

Nebal Farsakh – Spokesperson for the Palestine Red Crescent Society, one of the aid organisations coordinating relief efforts on the ground in Gaza

Akiva Eldar – Political analyst and columnist for Israeli newspaper Haaretz

Nour Odeh – Writer and political analyst

24 captives held by Hamas and 39 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel have been set free. The exchange is part of the truce deal that also stipulates a 4-day pause in fighting.

Israel has released 39 Palestinian prisoners in line with a Qatar-mediated deal that saw 13 Israeli hostages freed by Hamas hours earlier.

Qadura Fares, who heads the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club NGO, said 33 prisoners freed in the West Bank were handed to a team from the International Committee of the Red Cross. He said the remaining six were released in Jerusalem.

The releases on both sides were part of a deal for a four-day truce in the Israel-Hamas war that began Friday.

Over the next four days, 150 Palestinian prisoners and 50 Israeli hostages are to be freed.

Marah Bakeer, who was arrested in 2015 when she was 16 years old, was among those released in Jerusalem.

She told Al Jazeera many of the released prisoners require medical attention.

“All of the prisoners suffered a high level of medical neglect [while detained],” she said.

She said she is looking forward to spending time with her family, and is considering enrolling in a university to pursue a degree in law.

The Israeli military has fired tear gas and stun grenades at crowds in the West Bank – as they celebrated the release of Palestinian prisoners in a hostage deal.

It came as thousands gathered near Ramallah on Friday evening to await the release of 39 women and children following a truce agreement in which Hamas also freed 24 hostages.

Sky’s international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn, speaking from the scene, said there had been tension and chaos as a coach carrying some of the prisoners arrived.

The Israeli military were seen firing tear gas, stun grenades and possibly rounds of live ammunition as they attempted to push people back.

He said it came in response to some members of the crowd waving green Hamas flags and chanting pro-Hamas slogans as they celebrated.

There were also angry scenes as protesters shouted “we want our prisoners” as they waited for the release.

But there was also “jubilation” and a “carnival atmosphere” as the detainees were freed.

Sky News’ team at the scene witnessed some of the prisoners, mostly women and teenage boys, in a coach, some making V for victory signs and smiling as they were driven past.

Read more:
The Palestinian prisoners who could be released by Israel
Israel-Gaza latest: Hostages and prisoners freed

Several of those released were then lifted onto the shoulders of jubilant members of the crowd.

Israel is expected to release 150 Palestinian prisoners over the four-day truce – all of them women, children and teenagers.

Most will return to homes in the West Bank and Jerusalem following periods of incarceration lasting between a few months and several years.