 |
| Israel and Hamas reach ceasefire deal after hearing this news Gaza people are celebrating with joy | Photo: Reuters |
The bloody 15-month war in Gaza is coming to an end. Israel and Hamas agreed to the Gaza ceasefire and also a deal to release Israeli hostages of war in exchange for Palestinian hostages.
Negotiators reached a phased agreement to end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
The deal outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase and includes a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the release of others held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, an official told Reuters.
In the first phase, 33 Israelis will be released, all of whom are women, children, and men over the age of 50.
Negotiations to implement the second phase will begin on the 16th day of the first phase and are expected to include the release of all remaining Israelis, a permanent ceasefire, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The third phase is expected to see the return of all remaining bodies and the start of the reconstruction of Gaza under the supervision of Egypt, Qatar, and the United Nations.
The agreement came just before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, following months of negotiations between Egyptian and Qatari mediators backed by the United States.
Hamas, the dominant Palestinian armed group in Gaza, told Reuters that its delegation had approved the mediators' agreement on a ceasefire and the return of Israelis.
An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, had previously told Reuters that Hamas had given verbal approval to the ceasefire and Israeli return proposal and was awaiting further information for final written authorization.
If successful, the planned periodic ceasefire could end the war.
Gaza after the war?
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he would cut short his trip to Europe and fly back to the country overnight to participate in the government's vote on the security cabinet and the deal.
Israeli forces launched an offensive in Gaza on October 7, 2023, after Hamas-led gunmen breached the security fence and entered the Israeli border area, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and kidnapping more than 250 foreigners and Israelis.
More than 46,000 people have been killed in Israel's air and ground war in Gaza, according to figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, and the coastal area has been reduced to a wasteland of rubble where tens of thousands of displaced people struggle to survive in tents and makeshift shelters in the cold winter, Reuters reported.
AFP journalists in Deir el-Balah and other areas in central Gaza saw people gathering in groups, hugging and taking pictures with their mobile phones.