Gaza will finally be able to breathe in peace

Ceasefire agreement in Palestine is reached; After 15 months of Israel’s war in Gaza, Palestinian and Israeli prisoners will be exchanged

Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, potentially ending Israel’s devastating war in the enclave.

The ceasefire will come into force this coming Sunday (19).

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, announced the agreement this Wednesday (15), during a press conference in Doha.

The Qataris, along with the Egyptians, helped negotiate the deal with Israel, while the incoming US administration, led by President-elect Donald Trump, pressured the Israelis, the report said. Haaretz.

Trump had warned there would be “a price to pay” if a deal to release Israeli captives was not reached before his January 20 inauguration. Among the captives are American citizens.

The president-elect was quick to claim credit for the deal, posting on his TruthSocial platform: “This EPIC Ceasefire AGREEMENT could only have happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire world that my Administration would pursue Peace and negotiate agreements to ensure the safety of all Americans.”

“My National Security team, through the efforts of Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to ensure that Gaza NEVER again becomes a haven for terrorists. We will continue to promote PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH,” Trump wrote.

Soon after, outgoing President Joe Biden released a statement claiming credit for the deal, insisting that the delay was caused by Hamas, not the Israelis.

“I presented the precise contours of this plan on May 31, 2024, after which it was unanimously endorsed by the UN Security Council. This is the result not only of extreme pressure on Hamas and the changed regional equation following a ceasefire in Lebanon and the weakening of Iran, but also of persistent and meticulous American diplomacy,” these Bidens.

“My diplomacy never ceased in its efforts to complete this.”

In June, Hamas said it had accepted Biden’s plan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not agree, despite Washington’s claims at the time that he had done so.

Details of the deal highlight an initial six-week ceasefire phase that would include the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from northern Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas and other armed groups in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

The details obtained by Middle East Eye indicate that 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza will be released as part of the first phase, including nine who are sick or injured.

Israel will release 1,000 Palestinians detained since October 8, 2023.

Among the 33 hostages will be several men over the age of 50, who will be released in exchange for Palestinians serving life sentences in a ratio of 1:3, and Palestinians serving other sentences in a ratio of 1:27.

Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu, held in Gaza since before Israel’s war on Gaza, will be released in exchange for 60 Palestinian prisoners and 47 Palestinians who were re-detained after being released in 2011 as part of the US prisoner exchange agreement. Gilad Shalit.

Israel has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza, nearly half of them children. A peer-reviewed study published this week by the medical journal The Lancet stated that, in addition to there being no inflation in the numbers of deaths reported in Gaza, there is a 41% undercount of deaths due to the scale of Israel’s attack, the lack of rescue and recovery equipment, and the limited functioning of hospitals.

The UN stated that Israel committed “acts of genocide” in Gaza, a statement also supported by several Israeli historians.