After reaching the agreement on the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, it is expected to be announced today when it will come into force.

As reported by DW and according to Hamas, the agreement will enter into force at 10:00 am. local time.

At the same time, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Eli Cohentold Army Radio that the process of retrieving hostages from Gaza is expected to begin tomorrow, but declined to confirm reports that the process would begin at 5 a.m.

Eli Cohen told the news agency that the first group of hostages was to be freed tomorrow, but did not say how many would be freed.

Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement to release hostages held by the Islamist Palestinian group in exchange for a temporary ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

The agreement concerns the release of at least 50 kidnapped women and children who will be released during a period of four days during which there will be a cessation of hostilities. As it is underlined in the relevant announcement, “the release for every additional 10 hostages will result in an additional day of pause” in the hostilities.

For its part, Hamas, according to Reuters, announced that it would release 50 women and children under the age of 19 in exchange for the release of 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons.

According to the Islamist Palestinian organization the two sides agreed to a four-day ceasefire during which Israel will neither be able to attack nor make arrests in Gaza. He adds that air traffic during this period will be stopped in the southern part of the Gaza Strip as well as for six hours, daily, in the north.

At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar confirms the fact and issues a related statement in which it states that “the start of the ceasefire will be announced within the next 24 hours and will last for four days” adding that there is a possibility of its extension.