On Wednesday, Israel’s government and Hamas agreed to a four-day ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of at least 50 hostages held by militants and the release of at least 150 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. The first truce in a horrific near-seven-week-old conflict was lauded throughout the world as a sign of progress that could alleviate the suffering of Gaza’s inhabitants and bring more Israeli prisoners home. Israel suggested the ceasefire may be prolonged if more hostages were released.
When gunmen rampaged through southern Israeli villages on October 7, Hamas and allied forces grabbed approximately 240 hostages. Previously, Hamas had only issued four. The truce’s official start date is anticipated to be declared within 24 hours, with the first hostages set to be released on Thursday. According to a statement issued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, 50 women and children would be freed at a rate of at least ten each day over four days. The truce might be extended if a further ten hostages were released each day.
“Israel’s government is committed to releasing all hostages.”
It made no mention of Palestinian captives being released, but Israel’s justice ministry issued a list of 300 names of Palestinian prisoners who could be released. “Israel’s government is committed to releasing all hostages.” “It approved the proposed deal tonight as a first step toward achieving this goal,” the government stated in a statement. The first 50 hostages would be released in return for 150 Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli jails, according to Hamas. According to the Palestinian group, the cease-fire agreement would also allow hundreds of trucks of humanitarian, medical, and fuel relief to reach Gaza.
Since the Hamas attack, Israel has imposed a siege and continuous bombardment on Gaza, killing 1,200 people, largely civilians, according to Israeli estimates. More than 14,000 Gazans have been murdered since then, with roughly 40% of them being minors, according to medical professionals in the Hamas-ruled region, according to data deemed reliable by the UN. Qatar’s senior negotiator in the ceasefire discussions, Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, Minister of State at the Foreign Ministry, told Reuters that the truce meant “no attack whatsoever.” There will be no military movements, no expansion, nothing.” Qatar expects that the accord “will be a seed to a larger agreement and a permanent cease-fire.” That is our objective,” he stated.
The deal is the first small step towards peace
The deal is the first small step towards peace in the most violent ruction of the 75-year-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The past seven weeks have shocked the world because of the suffering of civilians on both sides, beginning with the killing of Israeli families in their homes and continuing with destruction rained down on Gaza, home to 2.3 million people. “What truce can there be after what happened to us? We are all dead people,” said Mona, a woman in Gaza whose nieces and nephews were among those killed by an Israeli air strike that hit the home of the Seyam family. “This will not bring back what we lost, will not heal our hearts or make up for the tears we shed.”
Kamelia Hoter Ishay, whose 13-year-old granddaughter Gali Tarashansky is believed held in Gaza, said she would not believe reports of a deal until she got a call that the girl was freed. “And then I’ll know that it’s really over and I can breathe a sigh of relief and say that’s it, it’s over,” she said. Both Israel and Hamas said that the truce would not halt their broader missions: “We are at war and we will continue the war until we achieve all our goals. To destroy Hamas, return all our hostages, and ensure that no entity in Gaza can threaten Israel,” Netanyahu said in a recorded message.
US President Joe Biden was among the world leaders who praised the agreement
Hamas said in its statement: “As we announce the striking of a truce agreement, we affirm that our fingers remain on the trigger, and our victorious fighters will remain on the lookout to defend our people and defeat the occupation.” Still, there was some hope of a step towards broader peace. “We hope the truce will happen and there will be good solutions, and we hope people will live peacefully and return to their homes and workplaces with stability,” said Abu Jihad Shameya, a displaced man from north Gaza who had taken refuge in the main southern city Khan Younis. “May God not prolong this hardship.”
US President Joe Biden was among the world leaders who praised the agreement. Three Americans, including a 3-year-old girl whose parents were killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, are expected to be among the captives released, according to a senior US official. According to Israel’s authorities, more than half of the captives had dual or foreign citizenship from more than 40 countries, including the United States, Thailand, the United Kingdom, France, Argentina, Germany, Chile, Spain, and Portugal.
According to Israeli media, the arrangement must be implemented after 24 hours to allow Israeli citizens to petition the Supreme Court to prevent the release of Palestinian detainees. Qadura Fares, head of the Commission for Prisoners’ Affairs in the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, told Reuters that among more than 7,800 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel were about 85 women and 350 minors.