Humanitarian aid has begun to enter Gaza through the Rafah Border Crossing since a truce came into effect Friday.
Under mediation by Qatar and Egypt, Hamas and Israel on Wednesday reached a four-day humanitarian cease-fire agreement, starting from Friday.
According to the agreement, 130,000 liters of diesel fuel, four trucks of gas, and 200 trucks of humanitarian aid will enter Gaza every day during the truce.
International officials from the region visited the border crossing ahead of the ceasefire's commencement, including an advisor to the Saudi government.
“I hope the truce starting from tomorrow will allow more aid trucks and humanitarian and medical assistance to cross the Rafah border behind me,” said Sheikh Abdullah Al Rabia, a Royal Court Advisor for Saudi Arabia.
The agreement also included the swapping of hostages. Israel and Hamas completed their first round of swaps on Friday. The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, released 13 Israelis, 10 Thai citizens and one Filipino. Later in the day, buses carrying about 39 Palestinian prisoners departed from the Israeli Ofer prison, located near the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Under the deal, Hamas would release at least 50 Israeli hostages from Gaza in exchange for some 150 Palestinian detainees held in Israel.
In addition, the truce has also allowed the transfer of the wounded and sick for treatment outside the territory.
Hamas' media office said on Thursday that 14,854 people in the Gaza Strip had been killed since the conflict erupted on Oct 7. Among the dead were 6,150 children and over 4,000 women, while more than 36,000 others were injured.
(Reuters)
