Hamas Confirms Ceasefire Start Time

We have a date and time: The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will begin at 7am local time Friday (12am EST), allowing humanitarian relief to enter Gaza as hostages taken by Hamas are exchanged for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, according to a rep from Qatar's Foreign Ministry, which played a key role in negotiations for the ceasefire. Hamas' armed wing confirmed the start time, per the Guardian. The Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, said humanitarian aid would enter Gaza "as soon as possible." Thirteen women and children held by Hamas are to be released around 4pm local time Friday. Israel is to release 39 prisoners from Megiddo, Damon, and Ofer prisons, per Al Jazeera. They are reportedly to be taken to the West Bank.

Israel's prime minister's office said it received a list of the 13 hostages to be released. The government reached out to all families of hostages, informing them whether or not their loved ones were named, per the Times of Israel. The timing of other releases will be decided later, per the Guardian. Israel has said it will release three Palestinian prisoners for each hostage released. Hamas is to release at least 50 women and child hostages over four days. Israeli forces and Hamas' military wing, known as the al-Qassam Brigades, have agreed to stop fighting for those days. Israeli will also stop flights over southern Gaza and limit flights over northern Gaza, including Gaza City, to 10am to 4pm daily.

The news came after Israel announced the arrest of Muhammad Abu Salmiya, the director of al-Shifa Hospital. Israeli's military claimed there was "evidence showing that Shifa Hospital, under his direct management, served as a Hamas command and control center," per Al Jazeera. Other medical workers were also detained. Also Thursday, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, who "spearheaded the drive to pass emergency government regulations allowing his ministry to shut down foreign news broadcasts deemed to be harmful to national security," proposed a government resolution to stop all state connection to the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz, claiming it had taken "a harmful line" in its reporting and may have "crossed the criminal threshold," per the Times. (More Israel-Hamas war stories.)