A convoy of trucks delivering aid to the people of Gaza and hostages held by Hamas rolled into the strip via the Rafah crossing with Egypt on Wednesday (January 17) under a deal mediated by France and Qatar.
The agreement was made after a night of deadly bombardments in Gaza's south as Hamas still holds about 132 hostages, including the bodies of at least 27 who were presumed to be dead.
In a statement to state news outlet QNA, the Qatari government announced the deal between Israel and Hamas on Tuesday (January 16) "where medicine along with other humanitarian aid is to be delivered to civilians in Gaza ... in exchange for delivering medication needed for Israeli captives in Gaza."
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How the New Aid Deal Works
Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majid Al-Ansari told QNA the medicine and aid would leave Doha on Wednesday for the Egyptian city of El-Arish before being transported into Gaza.
Meanwhile, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the deal.
The office of French President Emmanuel Macron added that, under the agreement, 45 hostages were expected to receive medication. The supplies would be dropped off at a hospital in Rafah and picked up by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to immediately distribute them to the hostages in the span of three months, The Guardian reported.
Ever since October 7, Qatar has been facilitating negotiations between Israel and Hamas, the highlight of which so far was the seven-day truce it brokered alongside the US and Egypt.
US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Tuesday he was "hopeful" that Qatar-brokered talks could lead to another such deal "soon".
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