Israel is eagerly awaiting what one official called the “miracle” release of women and children taken hostage by Hamas, AFP reports.

At least 10 women and children among those held hostage in Gaza are expected to be freed at 4:00 pm (1400 GMT), followed by a number of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

“We hope that the picture will be beautiful at the end of the day,” Ziv Agmon, legal adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, told reporters.

Israel, he added, “will follow the agreement, which we cannot say about Hamas”.