After months of negotiations, mediators Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. have successfully brokered a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, as announced by Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, on Wednesday.
The agreement, which is set to take effect on January 19, will enter its first phase, lasting for 42 days, according to the leader.
“In phase one, Hamas will be releasing 33 Israeli captives, including civilian women and female recruits, as well as children, elderly people… in return for a number of prisoners who are being held in Israeli prisons,” the Qatar PM said.
Hamas official Izzat el-Reshiq confirmed in a Telegram post that the group is “committed to the ceasefire agreement” in Gaza, as mediated by Qatar and the United States.
This statement follows accusations from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office that Hamas had sought “last-minute concessions” by backtracking on some aspects of the deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under significant domestic pressure to secure the release of captives in Gaza, while his far-right coalition partners have warned that too many concessions could lead to the collapse of his government.
First Phase Of Ceasefire
The deal marks the second ceasefire since the war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of over 1,200 people and the abduction of 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. In response, Israel’s military offensive has killed at least 46,645 Palestinians and wounded over 110,000 in Gaza, as reported by the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The first ceasefire in November 2023 lasted about a week, during which 105 hostages, mainly women, children, and elderly individuals, were released by Hamas, while Israel freed around 240 Palestinian prisoners.
The current ceasefire deal is structured in three phases. The first phase is expected to begin on Sunday and last for six weeks. This phase will include a ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops, the exchange of hostages and prisoners, and an influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza. U.S. hostages held in Gaza are expected to be released in this phase, as confirmed by US President Joe Biden on Wednesday. The details for the second and third phases remain under development, and they will be decided during the first phase.
“We will continue to do everything we can, everything possible together with our partners, to ensure that this deal is implemented as it’s agreed,” Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said, noting that mediators had spent 411 days working on the agreement terms. “And this deal will bring us peace, hopefully, at the end of it. I believe that it all depends on the parties of the agreement acting in good faith in that agreement in order to ensure that no collapse happens to that deal.”
During the first phase, the Israeli military will begin withdrawing from population centers in Gaza but will remain stationed along the Gaza-Egypt border, specifically in the Philadelphi Corridor, according to an Israeli official. Additionally, Israel will maintain a buffer zone inside Gaza along the border with Israel. The size of this buffer zone has been one of the key sticking points in the negotiations.
Hostage Release
Under the ceasefire agreement, American hostages held by Hamas will be included in the release during the first phase, as confirmed by President Biden. On the first day of the ceasefire, three female Israeli civilian hostages are expected to be freed. Additionally, four more hostages are set to be released on the seventh day, according to a document shared by senior Hamas official Bassem Naim.
Following that, “Hamas will release three Israeli detainees every seven days, starting with women (civilians and soldiers),” the document states.
“During the sixth week, Hamas will release all remaining detainees included in this stage, and in return, Israel will release the agreed upon number of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons, based on lists provided by Hamas,” the document continues.
