what to remember from Friday, November 24

The first Israeli and foreign hostages kidnapped by Hamas during its deadly attack on Israeli soil were released on Friday, under an agreement which also resulted in a truce between Israel and the Islamist movement.

The end of a long ordeal. Entering its 49th day, Friday November 24, the war between Israel and Hamas took a new turn with the start of the first humanitarian truce of at least four days in Gaza, and the release of the first hostages held by the Islamist movement, after the bloody attacks of October 7. Franceinfo summarizes what you need to remember from this day on the war front.

Release of 24 hostages held by Hamas

A total of 24 hostages, including 13 Israelis, ten Thais and one Filipino, were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza by Hamas, while Israel released 39 women and children held in its prisons, according to the ministry of Qatari Foreign Affairs.

“Among those released are 13 Israeli citizens, some of whom have dual nationality, as well as 10 Thai citizens and one Filipino citizen”said ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari on X.

Start of the humanitarian truce, for at least four days

A four-day humanitarian truce in Gaza, renewable, came into effect at 7 a.m. local time (6 a.m. Paris time) after an agreement between Israel and Hamas, under the aegis of Qatar.

The agreement also provides for the release of a total of 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinians detained in Israel as well as the daily entry of aid into Gaza.

Nearly 40 Palestinians released from Israeli prisons

In return for the first 24 releases of Israeli hostages, 39 Palestinian prisoners were also released from Israeli prisons, according to an NGO which defends Palestinian prisoners. This group includes 15 minors and 24 women, according to the list released by the Palestinian Authority.

Joe Biden assures that “this is just the beginning”

“It’s just the beginning, but so far it’s going well”said Joe Biden regarding the release of the first hostages kidnapped by Hamas, saying “grateful”.

The American president also considered that there were “real chances” to extend the four-day truce agreed between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement in the Gaza Strip, which came into force at dawn on Friday.

Humanitarian aid begins arriving in Gaza

The truce that came into force in Gaza allowed the UN to‘”increase” the delivery of humanitarian aid in the enclave where 137 trucks have already been unloaded, welcomed the United Nations agency responsible for humanitarian coordination (OCHA).

This delivery constitutes the “largest humanitarian convoy” since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas on October 7, adds OCHA in a press release. It specifies that 129,000 liters of fuel were also able to cross the border into Gaza, and that 21 patients in critical situations were evacuated from the north of the enclave.

Emmanuel Macron does not forget the French hostages

The Head of State welcomed the release of the first hostages by Hamas, assuring the families of the French people held of his “determination” to obtain their release, while no French are among the first group released as part of an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement.

“I welcome the release of a first group of hostages (…) Special thoughts for the French hostages and their families. They can count on our determination”wrote the President of the Republic on X. “We remain mobilized alongside the mediators to obtain the release of all”he added.

Israel bans Palestinians from returning to the north

As of Friday morning, thousands of Palestinians displaced by the conflict took advantage of the truce and flocked to the roads in the south of the territory to “go home”. Leaflets in Arabic, launched into the Gaza Strip from the air by the Israeli army, however, warned that “the war was not yet over” and “returning to the north (was) forbidden.”