Israel and Hamas agree to ceasefire and hostage release
The Israeli government, after six hours of deliberation, approved an agreement with Hamas on Friday evening regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages. Twenty-four ministers voted in favor, while eight opposed.
Earlier on Friday, this agreement was accepted by the Israeli security cabinet.
The agreement, negotiated with Egypt, Qatar, and the USA's involvement, stipulates a six-week ceasefire and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. It is set to come into effect on January 19. In the first phase, Hamas is to release 33 hostages, including women, children, and men over the age of 50, who were captured during the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. In return, Israel has pledged to release several hundred Palestinian prisoners.
No later than the 16th day after the ceasefire begins, negotiations for the next phase of the agreement are to commence. This phase includes the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from the Gaza Strip. The third phase of negotiations will address the return of the bodies of remaining hostages to Israel and the commencement of rebuilding the Gaza Strip.
Compliance with the ceasefire will be supervised from Egypt
A joint operations room will be established in Cairo to monitor implementation of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal agreement, reported on Friday by the state agency Qahera News, citing a senior Egyptian official.
"All necessary arrangements have been agreed upon to implement the agreement, including the formation of a joint operations room in Cairo to follow up on the implementation of the procedures," the senior Egyptian official said, according to al Qahera News.
The operational center will include representatives from Egypt, Qatar, the United States, Israel, and Palestinian officials.
The crisis has been ongoing for over a year
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a coordinated attack on Israel, which began with a massive rocket barrage on cities in the south of the country. At the same time, about 6,000 Palestinian militants and random civilians crossed the border with the help of bulldozers, pickups, paragliders, and boats, attacking Israeli cities and settlements. In some places, they drove through the streets for hours, shooting at civilians and soldiers.
Some kibbutzim and settlements were under Hamas control for several hours, which ended with mass killings of residents. In total, 1,175 people were killed on the Israeli side that day (including 379 soldiers and police officers and 71 foreigners), over 3,400 people were injured, and 251 people, including women and children, were abducted to the Gaza Strip. The attack led to the mobilization of the Israeli army and the start of intervention in the Gaza Strip.
According to the Gaza Strip health ministry, over 46,700 Palestinians have died as a result of the Israeli intervention. More than half of the victims are women and children. Although the ministry is part of the Hamas government, the data it provides are widely considered credible. The UN estimates that due to a lack of access to bodies under the rubble, these numbers may be underestimated.
A humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale is ongoing in the Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of the conflict, Israeli attacks have destroyed civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and water systems. It is estimated that 60% of all buildings in the semi-enclave's territory have been demolished. About 2.3 million residents face limited access to water, food, and medicines, worsening health issues and malnutrition. According to UN data, over 1.8 million people require urgent humanitarian aid, and the number of internally displaced persons is approximately 1 million.
