Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day ceasefire and the release of about 50 hostages held in the Gaza Strip since early October.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office approved the deal after a near-night meeting in which Netanyahu said it was a “difficult but right decision.”
An Israeli government spokesperson told AFP that the deal would release at least 50 Israeli and foreign hostages – women and children – in exchange for a four-day ceasefire.
Hamas released a statement welcoming the “humanitarian ceasefire” and said that under the deal, 150 Palestinians would also be released from Israeli prisons.
The parties agreed that for every ten additional hostages released, there would be one additional day of ceasefire.
Ceasefire in the Gaza Strip
The ceasefire will give the people of the Gaza Strip a much-needed, albeit brief, break after nearly seven weeks of war. According to AFP sources, the ceasefire will include a complete ceasefire on land and a pause in Israeli air operations over southern Gaza.
Qatar mediated the negotiations between Israel and Hamas. The country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that a ceasefire would be declared within 24 hours and last four days, with the possibility of extension.
Hamas attack on Israel
Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, which launched the current phase of the conflict, killed around 1,200 people. About 240 hostages were captured and held in the Gaza Strip. In response, Israel launched a military operation that Palestinian authorities say killed more than 14,000 people, mostly women and children.
Netanyahu’s office emphasized that the negotiated ceasefire does not mean the end of the war. “The Israeli government, Israeli army and security forces will continue the war to return all those who have been kidnapped, eliminate Hamas and ensure that there is no longer any threat to the State of Israel from Gaza,” the report said .
The agreement also stipulates that 300 trucks carrying food and medical aid will be allowed into the razed Gaza Strip.
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
