well hello, and welcome to

our viewers in the united states, and around the world. i'm becky anderson live for you today from doha in qatar. a four-day truce between israel and hamas does now appear to be taking effect. seven weeks of a punishing air ground campaign to root out of the militant group hamas now on hold. that is part of a deal to secure the release of israeli hostages captured in the october 7th terror attack. cnn's jeremy diamond and his crew near the border with gaza report what sounded like artillery fire in the early minutes of today's truce that started two hours ago. that has since stopped. according to qatar which was absolutely instrumental in brokering this deal, the first hostages from israel are now

expected to be released at some point after four pm local time. that is about seven hours from now. women and children, some from the same families will be turned over. at least this is the plan, to the red cross. -- because amongst those held hostage in gaza. >> i hope that this happy picture of people coming home is going to make the next video come faster so that finally all of the hostages are coming home. >> let's bring in cnn's jeremy diamond. jeremy you have -- in israel, what can you see and hear from their? >> well, we appear to be hearing and seeing a truce between israel and hamas actually beginning to take hold. it certainly did not seem that

way in the first 15 minutes or so of when this truce was opposed to beginning. in those first 15 minutes, we continue to hear the sound of heavy weaponry being fired. we were hearing loud booms inside gaza. we were hearing continuous small arms fire as well. but since then, since those additional -- we also heard a should, note rocket sirens into israeli communities on the border with gaza. since then, what has taken hold is a relative calm, you know the first come we have seen in these 48 days of war has this truce between israel and hamas appears to finally be taking hold. that is obviously welcome news for the family of the hostages who are said to be released, the first 13 of them women and children around four pm this afternoon. we expect that those hostages will be taken by hamas, transferred over to the red cross before being chance or two israeli forces at various

potential points along israel's border with gaza. we don't know yet exactly which of those 13 hostages are expected to be released, but we are told their families have been notified. one thing as clear though, becky, this is a temporary pause in fighting over these four days, to allow for the release of those hostages. it could be extended for a few more days to allow for additional releases, ten hostages per day perhaps, but the israeli military and its political leadership is making very clear that this is simply a pause in fighting, and that the fighting will resume after this pause and's. israeli defense minister -- yesterday indicating that the fighting could go on for at least two more months until israel achieves that goal of eradicating hamas from its hold on power in gaza, and also freeing all of those nearly 240 hostages. >> yes, that will be a punishing restart in this conflict if indeed that is what

happens, that the israelis once again ratchet up the assault on hamas. they have two objectives they say, to dismantle, destroy the infrastructure that hamas uses and indeed the assets hamas has on the ground. the other key objective of course is to return all of the hostages. that is the 240 or so hostages being held in gaza by hamas and by others. that is the key objective on the israeli side. of course a suggest it will be a punishing restart in activities for those palestinians in gaza who have been witnessing and have had their lives destroyed effectively by what has been this 48-day conflict. this window of course, jeremy, also an opportunity to get much-needed humanitarian aid in through that border, 130,000

liters of fuel for example on the rafah egypt side of the rafah border crossing. just how important without humanitarian aid supply, food, medical equipment, and fuel very specifically be for the people in gaza? >> it will be critical, becky, there is no doubt about it. hundreds of trucks of aid pretty expected to begin crossing into gaza. some of those we are told will begin crossing in, or at least undergo the security checks on the israeli side of the border. right after that truce took hold. humanitarian agencies, united nations, and others have warned that these trucks of aid will still be insufficient to match what is simply an enormous need for aid inside of gaza. we have already watched as so many essential services in gaza have broken down after weeks of bombardment that they have been

facing. hospitals, many hospitals in gaza are out of commission, they are lacking food, fuel, water. the water problem is one of the main reasons why israel agreed last week for the first time to begin allowing some fuel into gaza, the concern being that if those water -- the sewage system and water system in gaza can't operate, you could see an outbreak, a serious disease which is really officials that would also imperil their or effort. but there is no question that this initial pause for days to allow aid, into positive fighting will be a very welcome reprieve for the civilians of gaza who have endured terrible tragedy over the seven weeks of war. >> 1200 people dead in the slaughter, the massacre that hamas conducted on october the 7th. 12,700 and counting killed in

gaza since this war began, the severed began by the israelis to root out hamas in the gaza strip. so half of those women, more than have those women and children as you rightly pointed out, doctors on the ground now really concerned about the gastro intestinal diseases that so many who have survived this are now bearing witness to, and are going through. jeremy diamond is in israel. thank you, jeremy, for the time being, well we did not expect to see any israeli hostages released by hamas for at least several more hours. seven least. what do we expect to see that on these aid trucks that will begin were a scheduled to begin rolling into gaza sometime today? this is the convoy built up on the egyptian side of the border,

and egyptian official says 200 trucks to enter gaza daily with the food water and medicine. just to give you some context there, some 450 or so we're coming in through that border crossing on a daily basis before this conflict began. that was aid and that those in gaza who are not experiencing a full assault needed, so many people in gaza are refugees so many reliant on aid. this is medical supplies, this is food, this is water, this is fuel that these people need. it has also said, he also said that gaza would receive 130,000 liters of diesel fuel and for gas trucks each day beginning today. live now to ramallah in the west bank, and it is good to have you. you are a country director for

care in the west bank and in gaza. just explain for our viewers how important what is scheduled to start today, and we hope is now underway and now in this humanitarian pause. how important is it? -- it is important, for the area of importance i could not put it in a better way than what you have put it. just before the -- there is a need in a huge demand and need on the four basic daily life or any human being and this includes water, food, shelter items, and because many of the people are continuously getting from the north to the south, they are sleeping outdoors. the winter has arrived in gaza.

and access to medical supplies and medical services all of -- those a very precious days, as the chance to rebuild the possibilities of saving lives, more dignity to people, kids, children, newborn, and elderly, who were not able to access the basic services over the last days. they say these announcements say these are going to be 200, this is 50% of the daily demand and at least these are bigger numbers compared to the last days. the safe environment would allow the humanitarian actors also to pull themselves together, and then to be able to distribute this humanitarian assistance and more sustained manner. and a more organized manner compared to which distributing it under constant bombing or

airstrikes, more clashes. so this is what we look at these four days as a big opportunity and huge opportunity with a big hope of at least continuing in a more systemic and organized way to save lives of the people in the south. >> unless you have been in a war zone, i don't think it is possible to explain what the sense of a pause in the guns will bring to the people of gaza. so many who have been forcibly displaced into the south of course, news really army remain on the ground in northern gaza having moved in some weeks ago, and conducting raids that they are now have stopped their activities, that is part of the deal.

but just for the sake of our viewers, we heard some palestinians and residents of gaza talking about just how important this law in the fighting will be. how would you explain the importance of this? the psychological importance, the release that people will feel just knowing that they won't have that kind of reverberation of war around them? >> again, an amazing question, becky. i was on the phone with colleagues just before i came to this interview, everyone was extremely devastated yesterday with the truce not going and practice, or was put on hold. today everyone is expecting it. they have mixed feelings. lots of issues that they want to look out to at least resume their normal life again.

even if it is for four days, it is important. as you mention, the striking was constant since 47 days. it is constantly happening. they are expecting, some of them said, my colleagues, i'm giving testimony some my colleagues, some of them said finally i might be able to sleep for one night in the coming four days. some of them were very hopeful to go back to their houses. all of them evacuated to the south. they were hopeful to go back to the north, but of course this is not possible, to check on the houses, to check on -- to get more stuff for daily usage. people left their homes with minimal stuff, because they did not expect that it is going to be for that long. but of course, this is not possible. they -- like my colleagues, for their families. you know, it was very difficult over the last days to get food,

to get bread, to secure cooking gas. they also hope these basic requirements will be secured, that is one thing. secondly, to contribute to the distribution of aid that we are entering into gaza, more bringing from within gaza. of course force as an organization, we do not know if our office is existing, and we will not be able to check on it. it is in the north. we do not know about our warehouses, if they are still existing, or if they were affected. but at least, these days, they are looked at as a very hopeful moment to secure their needs, to contribute to helping others, for some it is a very harsh moment because as you know, there are thousands of people missing, thousands of people who are under the rubble. they were hoping to go to the north. they will not be able to do that to at least look for those who are missing, but for those in the south for instance they can go back to --

look for the unfortunate bodies under the rubble and decently bury them. they could secure maybe an access to hospital and medical services, priority was given to saving lives and -- now one of my colleagues, he was waiting for the moment where he could take his kid who has skin disease because of lack of water, just to get him checked by the doctors. this is how important it is for the people in gaza. >> that was -- speaking to me in the last hour. important context there for you. just a sense of what people are going through on the ground. the israel defense forces, the idf, saying they detained the director of the al-shifa hospital. he was transferred to the israeli security agency and met with questioning. israel says it has evidence that the hospital served as covered for a mass bombing

control center, and wants to ask the director what he knew about that. israeli officials, say the hamas tunnel network under the hospital used power and resources taken from the hospital, and says hamas stored weapons inside and on the hospital grounds. meanwhile the hamas-controlled health ministry has suspended cooperation with the world health organization. the director was detained while traveling in a convoy coordinated by the w.h.o.. doctors in gaza tell cnn that hope is that the truce will allow for patients and staff, hospital patients and staff to safely evacuated from the north and central gaza. information trickling and suggests the number of people killed in the enclave continues to climb. that is according to the hamas authorities in gaza who say the death bill from israeli attacks now stands at more than 14,000 150 -- evacuated from gaza to egypt describe life in the enclave

during the war. >> translator: we pray for minor them, but the fear, i cannot describe it. we die every night in this war. we hear the sound about to strike. we don't know where it will hit. a missile destroys a block, so imagine what happens when we are hit with three missiles. >> the palestinian health ministry says, the disruptions to communication networks in gaza have made it difficult to collect the most up-to-date information from hospitals in the gaza strip. civilians in gaza have been struggling to survive as the war intensified -- video diary is documented the struggles and tragedies people have injured in the enclave since the war began amid this

conflict. cnn's jomana karadsheh has that. >> translator: -- >> reporter: they were the days where she would smile in her videos, taking her followers that behind the scenes of her work in gaza. for weeks now, her post have been about life in a time of war. >> we now wake up at five a.m. for bread, we now walk more than six kilometers to fill up a gallon of salty water. we charge our phones on the street using the solar power we can find. we crave our favorite foods, but there is no power, no gas, or water. we have to make do with canned foods. >> she should people how ngassam survived. neighbors showing the little they have to make bread in clay ovens, and at times it was about how close death felt as

bombs rained down on gaza. >> this might be my last video, it dropped leaflets asking people to evacuate the area. most people fled, people were running in the streets like crazy, not knowing where to go. the situation is terrifying. god have mercy on us. >> as the war intensified in the north she did not leave. the safety they were told to evacuate in the south was an illusion, nowhere in gaza is safe, she said. >> translator: the thunderstruck shun everywhere in gaza, the occupation has no mercy on anyone, not the elderly, not the children, not the women, no one. all civilians are under fire in gaza. where are the decision-makers? where is the world? gaza is being annihilated. we are dying. someone do something.

>> but these desperate cries of so many like ayat haven't stopped -- we're burying that that has become there every day. every moment feels like it may be their last. on monday, it was ayat killed along with other family members inside -- her last video, a haunting words of a 27 year old with the final message from gaza to the world. >> translator: we are humans like everyone else. we had big dreams. now our tree is, if we are killed, we are a body in one piece so we can be identified bag in a gray, if not body parts in a bag. when will this war and? who will remain to tell people what happened to, us what we lived through, what we have witnessed. >> jomana karadsheh, cnn,

london. >> well heightened tension around me -- as the idf and hezbollah again exchange heavy fire. an update from beirut's just ahead.

welcome, back i'm becky anderson in doha, qatar. we are monitoring events for you in the middle east. a four-day truce between israel and hamas does now appear to be in effect. there is a live look at the border between israel and gaza. right now as we speak, our correspondent in the area reported hearing what sounded like israeli artillery firing for a few minutes after the truce was due to begin about two and a half hours ago, although that did and fairly quickly. in the coming hours, israeli hostages held by hamas will be released to the red cross, and israel will free palestinian prisoners to the west bank. tons of aid also set to begin

flowing into gaza. israeli officials says a 39 palestinian prisoners will be released on friday, but not until 13 women and children who are israeli hostages held by hamas in gaza are free. israeli government has notified families of the first group of hostages set to be released on friday. the u.s. says, it will contact families of american hostages released after it has confirmed they are departing gaza. we have no confirmation as of yet as to who is on that first list. qatar says it will be -- list of israeli hostages to be freed in a day by day process. israel will also handover a list of palestinian prisoners expected to be released every day as well. israel and hamas have agreed to a truce for, now but homeless

was active on thursday against hezbollah in neighboring lebanon. cnn's ben wedeman is in beirut and filed this report. >> the lebanese israeli border saw some of its most tense exchanges of fire thursday between israel and hezbollah, a day after an israeli strike killed five hezbollah fighters, including the son of the leader of hezbollah's parliamentary bloc. according to lebanon's official news agency, there were almost two dozen individual strikes by hezbollah on israel, mostly focusing on military targets. the group claimed it fired 48 rockets on the israeli infantry basin in -- and also claimed it killed four israeli soldiers in a separate attack. israel has yet to comment. the israeli military for its part said, it launched multiple air and artillery strikes on what it called, hezbollah's

infrastructure and rocket launch sites. thursday, iranian foreign minister -- on a two-day visit to lebanon met with hezbollah leader -- to consult on efforts to end the war in gaza during his time in beirut, new foreign minister interviewed on the satellite news channel, warned that if the truce in gaza does not hold, the war will expand. al jazeera arabic citing al jazeera source said the group would hold its fire during the 40 truce, if israel does the same. ben wedeman, cnn, reporting from beirut. >> and i'm becky anderson in doha, qatar. we will take a quick break. do stay with us. when we return, we will hear from an israeli woman whose mother was kidnapped by hamas. stay with us.

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who are you? no power? no problem. introducing storm-ready wifi. now you can stay reliably connected through power outages with unlimited cellular data and up to 4 hours of battery back-up to keep you online. only from xfinity. home of the xfinity 10g network. the 40 inches between israel and hamas is now in effect, and does appear to be -- since shortly after the pause to begin. let's have a look at live images from the rafah crossing where they have now -- 200 expected to cross through

the crossing in the coming hours. if the truce holds, the release later today, followed by israel releasing a group of palestinian prisoners. here is what one woman and gaza had to say before this pause took effect. >> we hope for a truce, we are tired. the people are tired. >> well, israel says it has performed the first group of hostages scheduled to be freed later on friday, there are least as expected around about four pm local time. -- is among the many israelis anxiously waiting for today's hostage release. 84-year-old mom is among the israeli hostages, she joins us now from haifa. and, it is good to have you. i know this must be an

agonizing wait. it has been 47 long days now. what did you know at this point? >> 49 days, and what we are -- we don't have any news. we are waiting. we are waiting. >> does that suggest, given that the israeli government has confirmed it has informed the families of those hostages who will be or are scheduled to be released today, thus that suggests your mom is not amongst them to your mind? >> they contacted all the families who has releases, and who will not get released. my mom is not in the list for today released. we hope that she will be in the next day, because she is very old.

she is 84 years old. she is one of the oldest women that they have taken hostage. and we are very worried but very hopeful today that she will be in the next release. >> tell me about mom. >> my mom is 84 years old as i said, she lived near the gaza border, she is -- her adult life, was one of the people with -- she was a social worker for a long years. she worked until after the age of 80. very family woman.

>> can you still hear me? >> now i hear you. >> you are telling me about your mom. 84 years old. held hostage by hamas in gaza as you understand it. how do you feel about where this conflict has gotten, this at least in principle should be allowing for the release of some 50 women and children held by the group there in gaza. just explain how your feeling, yourself, and as a family? >> i feel that everyone, we can get out from there, it is great. it is very comfortable.

it is a blessing, everyone who can go out, of course i would like it to be my mama's, well but everyone who can go out it is a blessing. israel needs to pay this price for the people that did not protect them. and even though i heard that maybe a lot of tie people will get out, i think we need to get out everyone that we can. of course they are all people, and the children need to be a priority but if we can bring others it is a blessing. >> do you share the anger of so many families of hostages held that it has been now as you rightly point out, you correct me, you are right to do so.

49 days since these hostages were taken. do you share that anger? i'm sure you share the collective trauma and grief, that so many israelis are going through, do you share the anger with the government for where we are at at this point? >> of course. i share -- anger of the government, that did not protector, in her home the she who was sent by the country to live on the border, and they did not protect her. i feel very angry about this. and i'm a little bit angry that they didn't succeed to do anything until now, 49 days. >> the israeli government, and

i know you're not a politician, and i have brought you on tv specifically talk about your mom, which is vernon center for you, but the israeli government and military have said, they will ratchet up the intensity of this fight against hamas, as conflict again, it will restart this conflict once humanitarian pause ends. it's the right thing to do? >> i don't know. i am not a -- look, the is really must-have must -- protect herself but if this war and what they are doing inside gaza now is helping to bring back the people, i don't know. i know that no matter what they

will do after they bring the people -- it won't resolve the conflict, it won't resolve the problem. the solution must be a political solution, and not a military solution. >> and your view shared by so many in israel, perhaps equally, there will be many people who don't agree with you, who agree with the israeli government. and it is key objectives are clear, and the right ones, but there are many who disagree at this point. there is clearly a very different perception of what is going on for the palestinian people living in casa as well. just finally, how will your mom be coping? >> how? i did not understand the question. how is my mom what?

>> you know your mom, inherently, how will she be coping with this period of time? have you got any sense of what you believe -- >> my mother is -- was when she was taken, very strong mentally. and, she was taken healthy, not injured. i hope that -- i don't think someone's manage their -- but i think she can hold on. i don't know what happened to her in these last 49 days, and how it will affect her. but she is a very strong woman.

mentally, physically not. >> we appreciate your time. in high for today, thank you. qatar's lead negotiator says it took a very intensive worker to broker this hostage still. cnn's brian todd has more on how qatar became such an essential mediator in this humanitarian pause in the gaza strip, and of course embedded in that these prison ideals. >> a pivotal player in getting the hostages freed from hamas captivity as a tiny emirate over 1000 miles away from gaza, smaller than the state of connecticut with about a quarter of the population of new york city. qatar, an oil rich nation on the persian golf world by 43 year old shake -- who took over what his father

abdicated ten years ago. analysts say qatar has been indispensable in brokering this hostage deal. >> qatar central. it has relationships with a broad range of terrorist groups throughout the region, and unsavory regimes. >> qatar was instrumental in getting for hostages, to his release, into americans released about two weeks after the current war started. that wasn't qatar's the first go around with the feels like that. >> qatar has had a long rule in these types of prisoner negotiations, most recently playing an important role in getting five american prisoners released from iran, $6 million of iranian funds that were sent to qatar. >> that deal took place in september. analysts say, mediation has long been one of qatar's most marketable skills, specifically its ability to -- international players who are at odds with one another. >> they are seen as a fair player by many of the different

actors in the region, and they do have some leverage over hamas. >> for years, qatar has given sanctuary two figures like hamas's top political leader -- and qatar's financial support for hamas and palestinian citizens in gaza has been substantial. >> the state of qatar funding hamas for many years underwriting salaries of hamas, and palestinian employees in gaza -- >> but qatar has also been one of america's closest allies in the middle east, not only supplying oil and gas, but also allowing the u.s. to maintain the airbase and quarters of u.s. central command. >> operation not only in iraq, but in afghanistan, ahead of their we continue to -- >> 2021 operation home afghanistan, it has methane back channel contacts with israel, while at the same time having relationships with groups like the taliban and al-qaeda.

ensuring an enormous -- with iran, all of which will allow qatar to have dialogue with key players in the region like no one else can, and experts say, qatar is willing to do things in negotiations over hostages for captured militants that the u.s. and others want. >> the united states typically in the past has not paid ransoms, but qatar has no qualms of that. >> analysts say when tensions in the middle east subside, qatar will be under significant pressure as it already has been from some members of the u.s. congress to sever its relationships with hamas, and kick hamas leaders out of qatar. but they say it is an open question we know whether qatari leaders will actually take that step. mine todd, cnn, washington. >> we do know that the a mirror and 80 americans have agreed to review that hamas file here in -- ohio spoken numerous times, to

the region, and the qatar mediation team about that, and they agreed that review has been discussed, the details of what that hamas might look like, whether the office for the leadership will be here going forward, it is not clear going forward. but there is an agreement that a review will be conducted after these hostages are released. after the break, kim brunhuber will have some of the day's other news. stay with us.

i'm kimberly hubbardton, then we will have more on the truce underway in the middle east in just a few minutes. first, a look at some of the other stories making news. germany's interior minister says the country is keeping up its crackdown on radical islamist after police raided the homes of hamas members and supporters in at least four regions. the rates also targeted the

prpro-palestinian network -- which advocates the use of violence. the two groups are banned in germany earlier this month. officials say hamas supporters still trying to raise money for the group, and political discourse in germany. and ireland, police say the streets of dublin are mainly calm after violent clashes broke out between police and protesters. it happened after five people including three children were stabbed in the central part of the city. police say a man in his 50s has been detained as a suspect in a knife attack. officials believe the stabbings were not terror-related. ukraine says one person was killed, another wounded and ambrosia russian strikes on the kherson region. ukrainian officials say officials launched 65 attacks on thursday, using mortars, artillery, rockets and drones among others. the attacks reportedly hit residential areas as well as businesses and medical facilities. chinese health authorities are explaining why there has been a

spike in cases of children with pneumonia or respiratory illnesses in the second part of the country -- the uptick in cases a stemming from a typical seasonal germs rather than any new or unknown bacterial or virus. they say the illnesses can be treated with antibiotics. and wewe will be r right back.k.

welcome, back i'm becky anderson in doha, qatar. our top story this hour. a four-day truce between israel and hamas does appear to have gone into effect. here is a live look at the rafah crossing in southern gaza right now. our correspondent in the area reported hearing what sounded like israeli artillery fire coming continuing for a few minutes after the truce was due to begin, and that artillery fire was witnessed from the border on the israel gaza -- from israel into gaza. now here at the rafah border crossing. though it does appear to have stop now. in the coming hours, 13 israeli hostages held by hamas should be released, according to the

terms of the deal. israel has agreed to free 39 palestinians held in israeli jails today, and dozens more over the coming days if hamas keeps freeing israelis. that wraps this hour of cnn newsroom. i'm becky anderson live from doha. we will have the latest on this temporary truce between israel and hamas after this short break. stay with us.