After fifteen months of destructive conflict in the Palestinian territory, negotiators meeting in Qatar obtained this Wednesday, January 15, a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas.
Details remain to be concluded according to the Israeli Prime Minister. American President-elect Donald Trump has already announced that an agreement has been reached on the hostages and that they will soon be released.
“The first phase of the agreement will last 42 days”
“The agreement will enter into force on Sunday, January 19. The first phase of the agreement will last 42 days and will include a ceasefire as well as the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the east, away from populated areas. Israeli forces will then be positioned along the Gaza border, which will allow the exchange of prisoners, as well as the exchange of bodies and the return of displaced people to their residences,” said Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdelrahmane Al-Thani.
Details regarding phases two and three will be finalized during the implementation of phase one
9:41 p.m.
“The agreement must be respected” and “a political solution must come”, says Emmanuel Macron
21h34.
The International Committee of the Red Cross says it is “ready to facilitate” the release of hostages and prisoners
Israeli president welcomes truce in Gaza: “The right choice” to bring back hostages
Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed Wednesday evening the announcement of the agreement on a truce in Gaza, calling it a “good choice” in order to bring back the hostages held in the small Palestinian territory.
“As president of the State of Israel, I say very clearly: this is a good choice. It is an important choice. A necessary choice. There is no moral, human obligation , Jewish or Israeli greater than bringing our sons and daughters back among us,” Mr. Herzog said in a televised speech.
20h56.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Gaza deal ‘opens door’ to end of war
Qatar, Egypt and the United States will monitor the implementation of the truce agreement in Gaza, according to Doha
“A monitoring mechanism will be set up, managed by Egypt, Qatar and the United States (the three mediator countries, editor’s note). Based in Cairo, this mechanism will involve a joint team from the three countries to monitor the implementation implementation of the agreement”, declared the Qatari Prime Minister.
“Imperative” that truce removes obstacles to humanitarian aid, says UN chief
The UN Secretary-General welcomed the announcement of a truce agreement in Gaza. “It is imperative that this ceasefire removes significant security and political obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian assistance through the Gaza Strip so that we can support a major increase in emergency humanitarian assistance.” , Antonio Guterres told the press, stressing that the priority was to “alleviate the immense suffering caused by the conflict”.
-Biden says he worked ‘as a team’ with Trump on Gaza truce deal
“I would also like to note that this agreement was designed under my administration, but its terms will be implemented substantially by the next administration. In recent days, we have spoken as a team,” he said .
33 Israeli hostages to be released in first phase of Gaza truce, Qatari PM says
“Hamas will release 33 Israeli captives, including civilian women…, children, elderly people, sick civilians and wounded, in exchange for several prisoners held in Israeli prisons,” he said .
20h20.
For Italy, the Gaza agreement is “an important step towards peace”
20h10.
“There is a path to a state of their own (the Palestinians),” said US President Joe Biden this Wednesday evening during a speech
Israel hopes to close deal ‘tonight’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that issues remained “to be resolved” in the ceasefire and hostage and prisoner exchange agreement. Tel Aviv, however, hopes to conclude “tonight”.
20h07.
Talks underway to open Egypt-Gaza border crossing to humanitarian aid
Thousands of Palestinians jubilant across Gaza as ceasefire deal announced
In Deir el-Balah, in the center of the small territory, hundreds of people showed their joy in front of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, dancing or waving Palestinian flags, according to an AFP journalist. Several similar spontaneous gatherings took place in other localities, according to AFP journalists on site or witnesses contacted by telephone.
20h03.
Joe Biden: “The hostilities will cease and the hostages will be reunited with their families.”
“The agreement will come into force on January 19”
According to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, the ceasefire agreement “will come into force on January 19”, the eve of Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Belgium
