Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage release agreement after 15 months of war, mediated by Qatar and the US. The deal, expected to begin on Sunday pending Israeli cabinet approval, will halt fighting, provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, and reunite hostages with their families. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya acknowledged the agreement, attributing it to international diplomacy and Palestinian resilience.
The conflict, triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 cross-border
attack that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, has devastated Gaza.
Over 46,700 people have died, millions are displaced, and there are severe
shortages of basic necessities.
The ceasefire’s first phase includes the release of 33
hostages, including women and children, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli forces will withdraw from densely populated areas, and aid deliveries
will resume. Negotiations for the second phase, aiming for the release of
remaining hostages and a full Israeli troop withdrawal, will follow.
The final stage will focus on Gaza’s reconstruction and the
return of any remaining hostages’ bodies, a process expected to take years.
Both US President Joe Biden and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh
Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani expressed hopes for lasting peace and
emphasized the importance of fulfilling the agreement’s terms. President-elect
Donald Trump also played a role, pressuring both sides to release hostages
before his inauguration.
Netanyahu’s office thanked both Biden and Trump for their
efforts, while Israel’s President Isaac Herzog acknowledged the deal’s
challenges but called it the right decision.
Opposition from far-right coalition partners is anticipated,
but the cabinet is expected to approve the deal. Palestinian and Israeli
families celebrated the announcement, despite continued violence on the ground
in Gaza.
