Gaza – ceasefire

A comprehensive four-day ceasefire covering both the north and south of the Gaza Strip will begin Friday at 07:00 local time, according to Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, Thursday. A list of names of hostages to be released from the Gaza Strip has been received, he added. The first 13 civilian hostages are scheduled to be released at 4 p.m. on Friday, the spokesman added. All 13 are women and children from the same families, al-Ansari said. “Every day there will be a number of civilians released, according to the agreement there will be a total of 50 over the four days,” he said. The hostages will be handed over to the Red Cross to guarantee safe extradition, the spokesman added at a news conference. /ritzau/