Men carry empty canisters to be crammed with cooking gasoline from a tanker that entered the Palestinian enclave by way of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, on Saturday.

Said Khatib/AFP by way of Getty Images

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Said Khatib/AFP by way of Getty Images

Men carry empty canisters to be crammed with cooking gasoline from a tanker that entered the Palestinian enclave by way of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, on Saturday.

Said Khatib/AFP by way of Getty Images

TEL AVIV, Israel — Hamas and Israel on Saturday have been planning a second hostages-for-prisoners swap, as a short lived pause within the seven-week-old conflict in Gaza gave the impression to be holding.

It wasn’t instantly identified what number of Israelis Hamas supposed to free within the newest trade, however the Israel Prison Service mentioned it had obtained an inventory of 42 jailed Palestinians to be launched. It mentioned they’d “be transported towards the central dispersal point at Ofer prison” on the northern fringe of Jerusalem the place the day gone by’s prisoners have been turned over.

In a plaza in central Tel Aviv that has turn into often known as “hostages square,” serving as a gathering place for households and supporters of these held by Hamas, the environment was subdued, however cautiously optimistic in regards to the subsequent launch of captives.

On Friday, the primary day of the short-term cease-fire, Hamas handed over two dozen hostages, together with 13 Israelis who have been seized as half its Oct. 7 assault on Israel that killed round 1,200 individuals, Israel says. In trade, Israel launched 39 Palestinian prisoners.

In a shock transfer, Hamas additionally freed a number of overseas employees captured within the assaults — 10 Thais and a Filipino.

More than 12,000 Palestinians have been killed for the reason that begin of the battle, in response to Gaza’s well being ministry.

Among the Israelis who received freedom on Friday is Hanna Katzir, who the Palestinian Islamic Jihad — a militia group that additionally took half in final month’s assault on Israel — had earlier mentioned was killed in an Israeli airstrike. Other Israelis launched are eight members of three separate households, together with 4 younger youngsters. Five captives, together with Katzir, are of their 70s and the oldest is 85.

Hospitals the place the freed hostages have been taken have reported that they’re in typically good situation. Dr. Efrat Bron-Harlev, the CEO of Schneider Children’s Medical Center, mentioned the 4 youngsters, three moms and a grandmother there “are in the best and most caring hands.”

“Their physical condition is good and they are currently undergoing medical and emotional assessment by the medical and psychosocial teams at Schneider Children’s in a specially designated and private area,” Bron-Harlev mentioned.

As Israeli hostages have been being freed and reunited with their households on Friday, there have been scenes of celebration within the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the place the Palestinians prisoners have been being handed over. An monumental crowd within the coronary heart of Ramallah gathered, chanting pro-Hamas slogans and waved the militant group’s inexperienced flag.

The short-term truce was brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States. Under the phrases of the deal, Israel and Hamas should halt fight operations whereas not less than 50 Israelis and 150 Palestinian prisoners are exchanged in teams every day. Israel says it might prolong the cease-fire as much as 10 days if Hamas retains releasing captives.

Meanwhile in Gaza, the pause in combating has opened the door for the besieged Hamas-controlled territory to obtain badly wanted meals, gasoline and different provides after weeks of bombardment from Israeli warplanes and floor forces. Israel has vowed to crush Hamas. The combating has displaced practically half of Gaza’s inhabitants of two.3 million individuals, in response to UNRWA, the U.N. reduction company overseeing Palestinians.

Four tanker vehicles every of gasoline and cooking gasoline from support organizations entered Gaza from Egypt on Saturday. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) mentioned 200 vehicles have been dispatched to Gaza and that 137 had been unloaded on Friday, “making it the biggest humanitarian convoy received since October 7.”

With the short-term cease-fire, some Palestinians are feeling protected sufficient to go to family members in central and southern Gaza for the primary time for the reason that combating started. Fuel provides are scarce so they’re utilizing cooking oil to energy previous automobiles.

However, final month Israel’s army warned Gazans dwelling within the northern half of the territory, which incorporates Gaza City’s half-million individuals, to maneuver to the south or threat being killed throughout Israeli operations.