As part of the agreement, the Palestinian faction agreed to release some of the Israeli captives.
Israel and Hamas agreed to end the war in the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing since October 2023. Also, as part of the agreement, the Palestinian group agreed to release some of the Israeli hostages. Qatar acted as one of the main mediators in the negotiations and provided its territory for the indirect meeting of the parties. The agreement on a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages was reached in meetings between the Prime Minister of Qatar and representatives of Hamas and separately with representatives of Israel.
Details of the agreement
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said the ceasefire would take effect on Sunday, January 19, subject to agreement by the Israeli government. The exact time of the start of the ceasefire has not yet been determined, he said.
The Israeli government has not yet voted on the terms of the agreement. A Reuters source said a vote was expected on Thursday and most ministers were set to back the deal. It is known that the Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, was only interrupted from his visit abroad in the last hours and immediately returned to his home town.
Hamas, according to media reports, has already approved the terms of the agreement.
Its details have not been fully disclosed. The anonymous sources of the news agencies shortly before the official announcement said that the first phase of the ceasefire was designed for six weeks (42 days). During this time, Israeli troops will have to gradually withdraw from the Gaza Strip, and several hundred trucks with humanitarian aid will be allowed to enter the territory every day.
Qatar’s prime minister said Hamas, for its part, would release 33 of its hostages in this first phase. Israel estimated the total number of hostages remaining in the hands of Hamas militants and its allies at 94, of whom 34 are believed to have died.
Biden’s role
Following the prime minister of Qatar, US President Joe Biden made a statement.
“The deal is the result not only of the intense pressure felt by Hamas and the changes in the regional equation following the cease-fire in Lebanon and the weakening of Iran, but also of persistent and careful American diplomacy. My diplomacy has not stopped working to achieve this result,” said Biden.
According to him, the agreement was reached in accordance with his own plan, which he proposed in May 2024 and was agreed to be approved by the UN Security Council.
The plan involves three stages, the first of which corresponds to the agreement concluded with Qatar – a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of Israeli hostages.
In the second phase, Israel and Hamas will discuss steps to finally end the war, the US President said. This phase, he said, should last six weeks, but if agreements are not reached within this period, the ceasefire will be extended.
And finally, the third phase of negotiations will be devoted to the return of the remaining captives to Israel and the discussion of a plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
According to Joe Biden, these were some of the most difficult negotiations of his political career.
Much remains to be done, but at this stage the most important thing is that Palestinian civilians will receive long-awaited humanitarian assistance and Israeli hostages will be returned to their families after 15 months of captivity, he said.
Rhell not all
Gaza residents and most Israelis greeted the deal with joy. For the Palestinians, this means an end to the bombing and the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced people to their homes.
In Israel, thousands of people greeted the news from Qatar in the streets. For almost a year and a half, these people tirelessly organized actions, demanding that the government reconcile with Hamas and return the hostages at any cost.
However, many Israelis consider the deal incomplete, as we are talking about the return of only part of the hostages. This category of citizens also took to the streets on Wednesday night and demanded answers from Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said there were still some remaining points in the agreement that needed to be resolved, but the prime minister hoped they would be finalized in the coming hours.
US President-elect Donald Trump said “the epic ceasefire was only achieved because of our historic victory last November.”
He pledged that his administration would continue to promote peace and make deals for the safety of all Americans and their allies.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.