Doha/Cairo/Jerusalem Jan 16 (Represesntative) Israel and Hamas have finally reached a ceasefire agreement to end over 15 months of fighting in the Gaza Strip after intensified efforts by mediators, Egypt’s state-affiliated Al-Qahera News TV channel reported on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Israeli media, citing U.S. and Israeli officials, confirmed that the two warring parties have reached an agreement on a ceasefire and hostage release. Israel’s state-owned Kan TV news earlier quoted an Israeli official as reporting that Israel received a “positive” written reply from Hamas for approving a proposed Gaza ceasefire-for-hostage release deal. Also on Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported that Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met with Hamas and Israeli negotiators in Doha in a “final push” to reach a ceasefire deal. The text of the deal has not been officially released yet, but international media said the initial phase will last six weeks, and will involve a limited prisoner exchange, the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops in Gaza and a surge of aid into the enclave.According to Al Jazeera, Thirty-three Israeli captives, including women, children and civilians over the age of 50 – taken during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 – will be released.
In exchange, Israel will release about 2000 Palestinian prisoners during this phase, including 250 prisoners serving life sentences. Among the Palestinians being released are around 1000 who were detained after October 7. In tandem with the exchange of operators, Israel will withdraw its forces from Gaza’s population centres to areas no more than 700 metres inside Gaza’s border with Israel. However, that may exclude the Netzarim Corridor, the militarised belt bisecting the Strip and controlling movement along it – the withdrawal from Netzarim is expected instead to take place in stages. Israel will allow civilians to return to their homes in the enclave’s besieged north, where aid agencies warn famine may have taken hold, and allow a surge of aid into the enclave – up to 600 trucks per day. Israel will also allow wounded Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip for treatment and open the Rafah crossing with Egypt seven days after the start of the implementation of the first phase. Israeli forces will reduce their presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, the border area between Egypt and Gaza, and then withdraw completely in later stages. Details of the second and third phases, though understood to be agreed to in principle, are to be negotiated during the first phase.