Cairo, 23 November 2023 (dpa/MIA) – A truce agreed by Israel and Hamas is due to begin at 7 am (0500 GMT) on Friday, mediator Qatar said, marking the first pause in fighting in nearly seven weeks of war.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari on Thursday said the first batch of 13 civilian hostages held in the Gaza Strip would be released at 4 pm on Friday.

All of the 13 are women and children. 

“And those hostages who are from the same families will be put together within the same batch. Obviously, every day will include a number of civilians, as agreed, to total 50 within the four days,” the official said.

The deal, announced by Qatar on Wednesday, involves a four-day pause in fighting between both sides to let aid flow in. The deal also sees hostages held by Hamas freed in return for the release Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

“We have just finished with all the communication with all parties in order to ascertain the lists of those civilians who will be freed as a result of the deal agreed upon by both parties,” al-Ansari said at a press conference in Doha.

The official declined to say how how many Palestinians in Israeli prisons will be released on Friday.

“Lists [of people to be released] on the first day are available to both sides,” al-Ansari said.

He added that humanitarian aid to the densely populated Gaza is an "integral part” of the deal.

"We hope this humanitarian truce will start greater work for a permanent truce and lasting peace," al-Ansari said.

For its part, the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, confirmed the start time of the truce, saying it will be accompanied by a cessation of all military actions on both sides throughout its four days.

Three Palestinian prisoners, including women and children, will be released for every one Israeli hostage, it added in a statement.