Israeli troopers stand on Salah al-Din highway in central Gaza Strip on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, because the momentary ceasefire went into impact. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas launched the primary batch of hostages below a cease-fire deal that started Friday, together with 13 Israelis who’ve been held within the Gaza Strip because the militant group staged a raid on Israel almost seven weeks in the past, in accordance with officers and media experiences.

Twelve Thai nationals had been additionally launched, in accordance with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. An Israeli official confirmed that the Thai captives left Gaza and had been en path to a hospital in Israel. The official spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of she was not licensed to debate the releases with the media.

In all, 50 captives had been anticipated to be freed throughout a four-day truce. It was not clear if the Thai hostages had been included in that.

Israel is ready to launch 150 Palestinians below the deal. Thirty-nine — 24 ladies, together with some convicted of tried homicide for assaults on Israeli forces, and 15 youngsters jailed for offenses like throwing stones — had been anticipated to be freed Friday, Palestinian authorities mentioned.

Israeli media, citing safety officers, mentioned 13 Israelis had been freed.

The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas started Friday, permitting sorely wanted support to begin flowing into Gaza and setting the stage for the change.

There had been no experiences of preventing after the truce started. The deal provided some aid for Gaza’s 2.3 million individuals, who’ve endured weeks of Israeli bombardment and dwindling provides of fundamental requirements, in addition to for households in Israel fearful about family members taken captive throughout Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault, which triggered the warfare.

The truce raised hopes of finally winding down the battle, which has flattened huge swaths of Gaza, fueled a surge of violence within the occupied West Bank and stirred fears of a wider conflagration throughout the Middle East. Israel, nonetheless, has mentioned it’s decided to renew its large offensive as soon as the cease-fire ends.

On Friday, it introduced quiet after weeks during which Gaza noticed heavy bombardment and artillery fireplace every day in addition to avenue preventing as floor troops superior by means of neighborhoods within the north. The final report of air raid sirens in Israeli cities close to the territory got here shortly after the truce took impact.

Not lengthy after, 4 tankers with gasoline and 4 with cooking gasoline entered the Gaza Strip from Egypt, Israel mentioned.

Israel has agreed to permit the supply of 130,000 liters (34,340 gallons) of gasoline per day through the truce — nonetheless solely a small portion of Gaza’s estimated every day wants of greater than 1 million liters.

For a lot of the previous seven weeks of warfare, Israel had barred the entry of gasoline to Gaza, claiming it might be utilized by Hamas for army functions — although it has sometimes allowed small quantities in.

U.N. support businesses pushed again towards the declare, saying gasoline deliveries had been intently supervised and urgently wanted to avert a humanitarian disaster since gasoline is required to run mills that energy water therapy amenities, hospitals and different vital infrastructure.

The Israeli army dropped leaflets over southern Gaza, warning lots of of 1000’s of displaced Palestinians who sought refuge there to not return to their houses within the territory’s north, the main target of Israel’s floor offensive.

Even although Israel warned that it might block such makes an attempt, lots of of Palestinians might be seen strolling north Friday.

Two had been shot and killed by Israeli troops and one other 11 had been wounded. An Associated Press journalist noticed the 2 our bodies and the wounded as they arrived at a hospital.

Sofian Abu Amer, who had fled Gaza City, mentioned he determined to threat heading north to test on his dwelling.

“We don’t have enough clothes, food and drinks,” he mentioned. “The situation is disastrous. It’s better for a person to die.”

During the cease-fire, Gaza’s ruling Hamas group pledged to free at the very least 50 of the about 240 hostages it and different militants took on Oct. 7. Hamas mentioned Israel would free 150 Palestinian prisoners.

Both sides agreed to launch ladies and kids first, in phases beginning Friday. Israel mentioned the deal requires the truce to be prolonged an additional day for each extra 10 hostages freed.

Early within the day, ambulances had been seen arriving on the Hatzerim air base in southern Israel, making ready for the discharge. Those freed will then be taken to hospitals for evaluation and therapy, Israeli officers mentioned.

Among the Israeli residents freed some have a second nationality, in accordance with a Hamas official who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of he was not licensed to debate the main points with the media.

Israel’s Justice Ministry revealed a listing of 300 prisoners eligible for launch, primarily youngsters detained over the previous 12 months for rock-throwing and different minor offenses. Three Palestinian prisoners are anticipated to be launched for each hostage freed.

The hope is that “momentum” from the deal will result in an “end to this violence,” mentioned Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Qatar, which served as a mediator together with the United States and Egypt.

But hours earlier than it got here into impact, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was quoted telling troops that their respite can be brief and that the warfare would resume with depth for at the very least two extra months.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has additionally vowed to proceed the warfare to destroy Hamas’ army capabilities, finish its 16-year rule in Gaza and return all of the hostages.

Israel’s northern border with Lebanon was additionally quiet on Friday, a day after the militant Hezbollah group, an ally of Hamas, carried out the very best variety of assaults in at some point since preventing there started Oct. 8.

Hezbollah isn’t a celebration to the cease-fire settlement, however was extensively anticipated to halt its assaults.

The warfare erupted when a number of thousand Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel, killing at the very least 1,200 individuals, principally civilians, and taking scores of hostages, together with infants, ladies and older adults, in addition to troopers.

The troopers will solely be launched in change for all Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, in accordance with the Islamic Jihad militant group, which is reportedly holding about 40 hostages.

It isn’t clear how lots of the hostages are at the moment serving within the army or whether or not the militants additionally think about reserve troopers to be “military hostages.”

According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, an advocacy group, Israel is at the moment holding 7,200 Palestinians on safety fees or convictions, together with about 2,000 arrested because the begin of the warfare.

The Israeli offensive has killed greater than 13,300 Palestinians, in accordance with the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which resumed its detailed rely of casualties in Gaza after stopping for weeks due to the well being system’s collapse within the north.

The ministry says some 6,000 individuals have been reported lacking, feared buried below rubble.

The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and militants in its demise tolls. Women and minors have constantly made up round two-thirds of the lifeless, although the brand new quantity was not damaged down. The determine doesn’t embody up to date numbers from hospitals within the north.

Israel says it has killed 1000’s of Hamas fighters, with out presenting proof for its rely.

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Mroue reported from Beirut and Rising reported from Bangkok. Julia Frankel contributed from Jerusalem.

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Full AP protection at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.