Israel-Hamas truce will begin Friday morning: Qatar

A temporary cease-fire between Israel and Hamas will begin Friday at 7 a.m. local time, Qatar said.

Majed al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, made the announcement in a news conference Thursday morning and said humanitarian aid will be delivered to civilians in Gaza “as soon as possible.”

According to al-Ansari, the first batch of captive civilians, including 13 women and children, will be delivered around 4 p.m.

Israel and the militant group Hamas reached an agreement earlier this week to pause fighting for four days to exchange hostages and allow aid to be delivered to the Gaza Strip. The agreement, which was expected to take effect Thursday, was delayed after hitting a last-minute snag, Israeli officials said.

It was announced Tuesday that Hamas agreed to release 50 women and children held hostage. Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, took 240 people hostage during a surprise attack on Israel that left at least 1,200 people dead in early October.

Israel has agreed to release 150 Palestinian prisoners as part of the agreement.

According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, more than 12,000 Palestinians have been killed in retaliatory Israeli strikes.

After the four-day pause, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war against Hamas.