Gaza: What we know about Israel - hamas ceasefire agreement |...

Gaza: What we know about Israel - hamas ceasefire agreement

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Δημοσιευμένα 2025-01-16 10:37:46

The Terrorist Palestinian movement Hamas and Israel have reached an agreement on ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

'Wings of sparrow' Operation - Here are the main details about the deal.

About the agreement

Hamas and Israel confirmed that an agreement has been reached.
It will come into force on January 19 and happen in three stages.
The first stage of the agreement would last 42 days and see a ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops from densely populated areas of Gaza, return of any remaining hostages' bodies, release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, return of displaced Palestinians to their neighborhoods in all the areas of Gaza, as well as facilitating the evacuation of sick and injured people from the enclave.
Negotiations for the second and third stages would begin during the first phase.
Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages during this first stage, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said. Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in return, US President Joe Biden stated, adding that all US hostages will manage to return to their homes.
Egypt, Qatar and the United States insist that this stage see a surge in humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza, with hundreds of lorries allowed in each day, and rebuilding medical facilities and residential structures in the enclave.
Stage two would be a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and a permanent end of the war. The remaining living hostages, including male Israeli soldiers, would be released.
The third and final stage would involve the reconstruction of Gaza.
The ceasefire would in effect pause the war while its terms are carried out.
The mediating countries — Egypt, Qatar and the US — would guarantee implementing the terms in all three stages, the countries agreed to establish a monitoring mechanism in Cairo.

Parties’ responses

Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the agreement a necessary and appropriate step.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US President-elect Donald Trump for help in advancing the hostages' release over the phone.
The head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and leader of the movement's negotiating group, Khalil al-Hayya, congratulated the enclave's residents on the ceasefire agreement, but promised that the conflict with Israel would continue. He also thanked Russia, China, Turkey and other countries for supporting the Palestinian people during their struggle against Israel.
A statement published on Hamas' Telegram channel called the agreement an important milestone on the way to achieving the goals of liberating the Palestinian people.

Realizing the deal

An Israeli security cabinet meeting to announce a ceasefire deal is scheduled for the morning of January 16, Israeli state-run news outlet Kan reported.
A meeting on implementing the deal will be held in Cairo on January 16, a senior US official specified.

Reaction of the world community

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the agreement, adding that the international organization is ready to support its implementation and the increase of humanitarian aid deliveries to the residents of the Gaza Strip.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised the agreement between Hamas and Israel and expressed hope that it would be for the region’s good. He added that Turkey will mobilize its resources to rebuild the Palestinian enclave and help its people.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the agreement should be made permanent.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry called on taking steps to rebuild the Gaza Strip.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called securing a better future for Israeli and Palestinian people a priority for the world community.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the agreement is a relief for the residents of Gaza. He also urged for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
The Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, pleaded for delivering immediate humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul al-Gheit welcomed the ceasefire agreements in Gaza and stressed that the enclave should see the unobstructed delivery of the biggest possible amount of aid.
US State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said that the amount of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip is expected to increase up to 500 lorries per day.

However, various factors could jeopardize Israel-Hamas deal

Several factors, including Israel's internal political dynamics, may undermine the agreement with Hamas on the release of hostages held in Gaza and the establishment of a ceasefire in the enclave.

It is quite difficult to predict how long it will last. Although it was agreed to gradually resolve the issue of hostages, who will be sent back to Israel, one must consider the composition of the Israeli government, which includes far-right factions strongly opposing ending the conflict, ongoing since October 7, 2023, without achieving the complete eradication of Hamas, a decisive Israeli victory, and the formation of a government entirely disconnected from this group.

Several factors that "might derail this agreement. This primarily involves Israel’s internal political situation, which remains deeply divided, as the coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces strong influence from radical right-wing elements.

"This primarily pertains to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who argue that this agreement fails to align with Israel's strategic objective of fully dismantling Hamas in Gaza. If they resign, the government could collapse, prompting Israel to face the prospect of early elections once again, potentially disrupting the deal."

However, if the incoming US administration firmly supports the deal, "the enormous influence they [the Americans] wield over Israel could ensure its continuation in some form."

"There is also a risk of provocations by extreme militants in Gaza. If such incidents occur—whether through escalation or armed confrontation—they could also threaten the agreement’s viability. Nonetheless, there is hope that it will hold."

Freezing the conflict is a shared objective of both the outgoing US administration under Biden and the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, both of whom pushed for the deal’s finalization before the inauguration.