A truce between Israel and Hamas will begin at 7 a.m. local time (midnight ET) on Friday, and civilian hostages will be released at 4 p.m. local time, Qatar announced Thursday.

Thirteen women and children will be released, according to a spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, Majed Al-Ansari.

[Israel had been demanding Red Cross access to all remaining hostages, which Hamas refuses to grant. That’s not a good sign; it calls into question how many of them remain alive and in what condition. — Ed]