Hamas has verbally agreed to a draft deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of dozens of hostages, according to various sources, including The Associated Press, which obtained a copy of the proposed agreement that officials Egyptian and Hamas confirmed as authentic.
“We have a hostage deal in the Middle East. They will be released soon. Thank you!”, declared the president-elect Donald Trump on his social network Truth.
However, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office Benjamin Netanyahu must still ratify the agreement. A vote is expected by Thursday. The agreement provides for an initial six-week ceasefire, during which Hamas would release 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children and the elderly, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
This phase also includes a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the central Gaza Strip and the return of displaced Palestinians to the northern regions of the enclave. According to the officials cited by Reuters, there were last-minute discussions on the Egypt-Gaza border, now controlled by Israeli forces.
Despite progress in negotiations, Israeli military operations continued, resulting in additional loss of life on the Palestinian side. The urgency to finalize the ceasefire was heightened by the impending inauguration of Trump on Jan. 20, who said there would be consequences if Israeli hostages were not released before he took office.
The proposed ceasefire is structured in three phases:
- First phase : A six-week ceasefire during which Hamas would release 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces would begin a gradual withdrawal from the central Gaza Strip, allowing displaced Palestinians to return home, although they have mostly been destroyed.
- Second phase : Negotiations for the release of remaining hostages and a more complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
- Third phase : The return of the bodies of the remaining hostages in exchange for a reconstruction plan for Gaza.
The international community is closely monitoring the situation, hoping that the ceasefire will ease regional tensions and pave the way for the reconstruction of Gaza, where up to 50,000 people – mainly civilians and children – are believed to have were killed by Israeli bombings, according to international, Palestinian and Israeli agencies.
The success of the deal depends on resolving outstanding issues, including the details of Israeli troop withdrawals and mechanisms for prisoner exchanges.
Photo via Shutterstock.
