After over six weeks of intense war that has left Gaza in ruins and killed more than 14,500 Palestinians; Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas have reached a pivotal agreement for a four-day truce, starting from Friday morning.
The conflict escalated on October 7 when Hamas fighters launched an attack on southern occupied territories killing 1,200 Israelis with Hamas stating that the attack was a response to the Israeli forces and settlers' storming of Al Aqsa.
Since then, the Israeli responded with relentless air and ground attacks on Gaza, killing more than 14,500 Palestinians, with a majority being women and children.
An estimated 1.7 million Palestinians have been displaced, forced to flee to the southern areas of the Strip due to the intense military actions by the Israeli army.
However, both sides have now committed to a four-day pause in the fighting.
As part of this agreement, Hamas has consented to the release of 50 civilian women and children out of the 237 captives abducted since the onset of hostilities on October 7.
Simultaneously, Israel has agreed to release 150 Palestinian women and children from its prisons.
Qatar has been mediating said that the deal could pave the way for increased humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza, where the need is dire.
Israel has expressed its willingness to extend the pause beyond the initial four-day period, contingent on Hamas releasing additional hostages.
For every 10 hostages released by Hamas, Israel has committed to extending the truce by an additional day. However, it remains unclear whether Israel will reciprocate with the release of more Palestinian prisoners if the truce is prolonged.