A four-day truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict began on Friday, with captives set to be released in exchange for prisoners in the first major reprieve in seven weeks of brutal Israeli bombardment that has claimed at least 15,000 Palestinian lives.
The two sides had agreed to silence guns and stop bombings from 7:00 am (0500 GMT).
As part of the agreement, 13 women and children held captives in Gaza are due to be freed at 4:00 pm (1400 GMT), followed by a number of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, according to Qatari mediators.
Over the four days, at least 50 hostages are expected to be released, leaving an estimated 190 in the hands of Palestinian fighters.
In exchange, 150 Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released.
For Gaza’s two million-plus residents, the deal brings a promise of respite from weeks of sustained Israeli bombardment.
At dawn, thousands of people who had fled to areas near Gaza’s border with Egypt were preparing to return to their villages.
