Saturday, 18 January, 2025
Negotiators reached a phased agreement on Wednesday to end the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas, an official with knowledge of the talks said. The conflict, which has lasted for 15 months, has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused significant unrest in the Middle East.
The deal, which has not been officially announced, includes a six-week ceasefire phase. It calls for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the official told Reuters.
The first phase involves the release of 33 Israeli hostages, including all women, children, and men over 50.
According to news agencies, negotiations on implementing the second phase will begin by the 16th day of phase one and it is expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The third phase is expected to address the return of all remaining dead bodies and the start of Gaza's reconstruction supervised by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.
The agreement follows months of on-off negotiations conducted by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with the backing of the United States, and comes just ahead of the Jan 20 inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
Hamas, Gaza's dominant Palestinian militant group, told Reuters its delegation had handed mediators its approval for the ceasefire agreement and return of hostages.
A Palestinian official, who asked not to be named, told journalists earlier that Hamas had given verbal approval to the ceasefire and hostage return proposal and was awaiting more information to give final written approval.
If successful, the planned phased ceasefire could halt fighting that has left much of Gaza in ruins, displaced most of the enclave's pre-war population of 2.3 million, and killed tens of thousands of people. The toll is still rising daily.
That in turn could defuse tensions across the wider Middle East, where the war has stoked conflict in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, and raised fears of all-out war between arch-regional foes Israel and Iran.
Even if the warring sides implement the current deal, it will still require further negotiation before there is a lasting ceasefire and the release of all the hostages.
MASSIVE TASK OF RECONSTRUCTION
If all goes smoothly, the Palestinians, Arab states and Israel still must agree on a vision for post-war Gaza, a formidable challenge involving security guarantees for Israel and billions of dollars in investment for rebuilding.
One key unanswered question is who will govern Gaza after the war.
Israel has rejected any role for Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007, and has shown similar opposition to the Palestinian Authority, the governing body established by the Oslo Accords that has limited authority in the West Bank.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced he was cutting his European visit short and returning home to participate in security cabinet and government votes on the deal, which are expected to occur by Thursday.
Israel's military operation in Gaza began after Hamas gunmen breached security barriers on October 7, 2023, attacking Israeli border communities, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians, and taking over 250 hostages, including foreigners.
Since then, Israel's air and ground operations in Gaza have resulted in over 46,000 deaths, according to Gaza health ministry figures, leaving the region in ruins. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are now struggling to survive the winter in tents and makeshift shelters.
As the inauguration of President Trump neared, he repeatedly demanded a quick resolution, warning that there would be "hell to pay" if hostages were not released before he assumed office. His Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, worked alongside President Joe Biden's team to finalize the deal.
The return of hostages could help ease public anger in Israel over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the October 7 security breach, which led to the deadliest day in the country's history.
The conflict in Gaza has also spilled over into the wider Middle East, with Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen targeting Israel in support of the Palestinians.
The deal was reached after Israel successfully eliminated top Hamas leaders and Hezbollah’s leadership in Lebanon through targeted assassinations, which gave Israel a strategic advantage.
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Negotiators reached a phased agreement on Wednesday to end the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas, an official with knowledge of the talks said. The conflict, which has lasted for 15 months, has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused significant unrest in the Middle East.
The deal, which has not been officially announced, includes a six-week ceasefire phase. It calls for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the official told Reuters.
The first phase involves the release of 33 Israeli hostages, including all women, children, and men over 50.
According to news agencies, negotiations on implementing the second phase will begin by the 16th day of phase one and it is expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The third phase is expected to address the return of all remaining dead bodies and the start of Gaza's reconstruction supervised by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.
The agreement follows months of on-off negotiations conducted by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with the backing of the United States, and comes just ahead of the Jan 20 inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
Hamas, Gaza's dominant Palestinian militant group, told Reuters its delegation had handed mediators its approval for the ceasefire agreement and return of hostages.
A Palestinian official, who asked not to be named, told journalists earlier that Hamas had given verbal approval to the ceasefire and hostage return proposal and was awaiting more information to give final written approval.
If successful, the planned phased ceasefire could halt fighting that has left much of Gaza in ruins, displaced most of the enclave's pre-war population of 2.3 million, and killed tens of thousands of people. The toll is still rising daily.
That in turn could defuse tensions across the wider Middle East, where the war has stoked conflict in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, and raised fears of all-out war between arch-regional foes Israel and Iran.
Even if the warring sides implement the current deal, it will still require further negotiation before there is a lasting ceasefire and the release of all the hostages.
MASSIVE TASK OF RECONSTRUCTION
If all goes smoothly, the Palestinians, Arab states and Israel still must agree on a vision for post-war Gaza, a formidable challenge involving security guarantees for Israel and billions of dollars in investment for rebuilding.
One key unanswered question is who will govern Gaza after the war.
Israel has rejected any role for Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007, and has shown similar opposition to the Palestinian Authority, the governing body established by the Oslo Accords that has limited authority in the West Bank.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced he was cutting his European visit short and returning home to participate in security cabinet and government votes on the deal, which are expected to occur by Thursday.
Israel's military operation in Gaza began after Hamas gunmen breached security barriers on October 7, 2023, attacking Israeli border communities, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians, and taking over 250 hostages, including foreigners.
Since then, Israel's air and ground operations in Gaza have resulted in over 46,000 deaths, according to Gaza health ministry figures, leaving the region in ruins. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are now struggling to survive the winter in tents and makeshift shelters.
As the inauguration of President Trump neared, he repeatedly demanded a quick resolution, warning that there would be "hell to pay" if hostages were not released before he assumed office. His Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, worked alongside President Joe Biden's team to finalize the deal.
The return of hostages could help ease public anger in Israel over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the October 7 security breach, which led to the deadliest day in the country's history.
The conflict in Gaza has also spilled over into the wider Middle East, with Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen targeting Israel in support of the Palestinians.
The deal was reached after Israel successfully eliminated top Hamas leaders and Hezbollah’s leadership in Lebanon through targeted assassinations, which gave Israel a strategic advantage.
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