A truce announced in Gaza with certainty over the fate of the hostages

A truce announced in Gaza with certainty over the fate

After 15 months of war, a second ceasefire agreement in Gaza was accepted Wednesday evening by Hamas and Israel. An exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages is also planned.

Discussions have accelerated in recent hours in Qatar. More than 15 months after the start of the war in Gaza, a truce agreement was approved this Wednesday by Hamas and Israel. A first since the one and only ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave in November 2023. It lasted a week and at the time allowed the exchange of Hamas prisoners for Israeli hostages.

In addition to the truce, the agreement once again includes a point relating to the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages, Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad having “reached an agreement between themselves”, welcomed a source close to the negotiators gathered in Doha, relays The Parisian. “We have an agreement on the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly, thank you!” Following the announcement, President-elect Donald Trump reacted on social networks.

If more information should be delivered Wednesday evening by the Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is due to hold a press conference at an unspecified time, senior officials of the Hebrew state have yet to definitively sign the agreement. A meeting should be organized on Thursday, the Israeli channel understands N12with a view to ratifying the agreement by midday local time.

33 hostages released slowly over the next 42 days

Concerning the hostages, 33 should be handed over to the Israeli authorities during a first phase which will also see the release of a thousand Palestinian prisoners currently held in the jails of the Hebrew State. As for the hostages, children and women will be released as a priority by Hamas. The first releases are expected from Sunday or Monday. However, a dropper release is planned. With the first phase of the deal lasting 42 days, N12 says 19 of the 33 hostages will be released in the first 35 days in groups of three or four people. The 14 hostages will be handed over to Israeli authorities during the final week.

In parallel with these exchanges, some 600 humanitarian aid trucks will be authorized to return, without hindrance from the Israelis, to the Gaza Strip to come to the aid of the Palestinian population particularly affected by the fighting which is raging. since October 2023 and the response of the Hebrew state against Hamas after the attack of October 7. Israeli soldiers will be invited, during this truce, to withdraw little by little from the Palestinian enclave. The departure of the Israeli army from certain strategic points, such as the Netzarim corridor (central Gaza Strip) and certain places in the Philadelphia corridor (between the Palestinian enclave and Egypt), is planned. Finally, note that during this first phase, negotiations will take place, with the objective of releasing the last hostages, namely Israeli soldiers for the most part.

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