Is the fighting finished? By the end of today, 13 people will be back with their loved ones. But for Palestinians and Israelis still in Gaza, the future is still unknown.
Breakthrough! Gaza hostages due to head home
Is the fighting finished? By the end of today, 13 people will be back with their loved ones. But for Palestinians and Israelis still in Gaza, the future is still unknown.
What's happening?
For some Israelis, seven weeks of worry will end today. In the coming hours, their relatives will be freed. Meanwhile the bombs will stop falling on millions of PalestiniansPeople from Palestine, an area located in the Southern Levant region of Western Asia. . A small moment of hope after weeks of horror.
HamasA militant Palestinian organisation, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in the UK. will today release 13 of the 239 hostagesPeople who are being held against their will in order to force their country or family to do as the hostage-taker wishes. it took on 7 October. In exchange, IsraelA country in the Middle East, and the only Jewish nation in the modern period. It is seen by Jews, Christians and Muslims as the Holy Land. is releasing 39 Palestinian women and children from its jails. Over the next few days, a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinians are due to be released.
The hostages have been held for more than a month. They were taken in an attack by Hamas on Israel. Four hostages were released in October, and one was freed by Israel's army.
The fighting will be paused for four days, and 200 lorries will be allowed to carry supplies into GazaThe smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, bordered by Israel and Egypt. .
Find out more
Many hope this might mean peace is near. Much can happen in four days. Some have hope for a longer agreement to stop fighting.
But this will not be easy. Israel has already declared that once the pause is over it will restart its war on Gaza.
This is because for Israel, freeing the hostages is only one aim. The other is to destroy Hamas. This will not be easy at all either - especially because many Hamas leaders do not even live in Gaza.
Moreover, even if they do manage to destroy Hamas, it leaves another question: what will happen to Palestinian people, and who will rule Gaza?
Is the fighting finished?
Yes! Nobody wants the fighting to go on forever. Many from both sides want there to be an agreement for peace.
No! Israeli people will not agree to any end to the fighting which leaves Hamas in charge of Gaza. This is far from over.
Keywords
Palestinians - People from Palestine, an area located in the Southern Levant region of Western Asia.
Hamas - A militant Palestinian organisation, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in the UK.
Hostages - People who are being held against their will in order to force their country or family to do as the hostage-taker wishes.
Israel - A country in the Middle East, and the only Jewish nation in the modern period. It is seen by Jews, Christians and Muslims as the Holy Land.
Gaza - The smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, bordered by Israel and Egypt.
Breakthrough! Gaza hostages due to head home
Glossary
Palestinians - People from Palestine, an area located in the Southern Levant region of Western Asia.
Hamas - A militant Palestinian organisation, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in the UK.
Hostages - People who are being held against their will in order to force their country or family to do as the hostage-taker wishes.
Israel - A country in the Middle East, and the only Jewish nation in the modern period. It is seen by Jews, Christians and Muslims as the Holy Land.
Gaza - The smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, bordered by Israel and Egypt.