Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7 have killed a total of 14,854 people with 5,850 children among the casualties, reported CNN citing Hamas authorities in the Strip.
Due to Israel's continued air and ground operations in the Gaza Strip, obtaining the current figures has become a challenge, according to CNN, which reported that the Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah confirmed 12,700 casualties on Monday, drawing data from the sources in the Gaza Strip.
The report mentioned that recent health updates point to communication disruptions in Gaza hindering accurate data collection.
The chief of the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs, Martin Griffiths stood by the casualty figures they quoted, adding that they rely on the data from Gaza.
Griffiths was quoted by CNN as saying, "We don't put these figures out without thought."
Israeli ground forces intensified their shelling of the northern Gaza region ahead of the multi-day truce between both parties began on Friday.
The scheduled break, starting at 7 am (local time), involves the liberation of the initial batch of 13 captives who have been held by Hamas since October 7.
According to CNN, Qatar announced on Thursday that as part of the four-day cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, civilian hostages will be released on Friday afternoon in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
According to Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry, the ceasefire will begin at 7 am (local time) while 13 women and child captives are to be released at 4 pm.
Al-Ansari has informed that the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, has received the list of prisoners who are planned to be released.
Al-Ansari has informed that the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, has received the list of prisoners who are planned to be released.
The Qatari spokesperson stated that Mossad will provide the Qataris with a list of Palestinian inmates who are likely to be released. "Whenever we have both lists confirmed, this is when we can begin with the process of getting people out," the official went on to say, according to CNN.
The prisoners will be transferred from two jails, Damon and Megiddo, both southeast of Haifa, to the Ofer prison, south of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, for final Red Cross examinations, according to the report.
Earlier, on Wednesday, an Israeli official told CNN that the truce would begin at 10 am local time on Thursday, followed by the release of at least 50 women and children among the more than 230 people being held prisoner in Gaza.
However, those preparations were postponed late Wednesday, just hours before the cease-fire was supposed to begin.
During his daily press briefing on Thursday, the spokesperson for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), Daniel Hagari, stated that nothing is considered final until it is actually taking place. He further emphasized that even during the ongoing process, there is a possibility of changes occurring at any given moment.
According to a report from CNN, Hagari stated that the Israeli military is still engaged in combat in the Gaza Strip at the present time. He mentioned that once the ceasefire is implemented, the soldiers of the Israeli Defence Forces will be positioned along the designated truce lines within the territory.
The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attacks by Hamas. About 2,500 terrorists breached Israel's southern border from the Gaza Strip, killing civilians and sneaking back into their territory with hostages.
According to reports, the hostages included individuals from various age groups, including young children and elderly people. The hostages also consisted of Thai and Nepalese nationals.
