After 15 months of a devastating war between Israel and Hamas, mediation talks in Qatar have culminated in a mutual agreement by both parties to release hostages and end the conflict in the Gaza strip.
- The mediating countries – Egypt, Qatar and the United States of America – announced that the cessation of hostilities will begin on Sunday 19th January if the agreement is approved by the Israeli cabinet.
- Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Hamas was brewing a crisis to prevent the ceasefire, while the enclave’s health ministry said that Israeli airstrikes have killed scores of Palestinians after the deal was announced.
- Israel’s war against Hamas after the abductions and attacks of October 2023, has seen the entire Gaza strip destroyed and over 46,000 civilians killed and thousands injured.
“I urge the parties and relevant partners to seize this opportunity to establish a credible political path to a better future for Palestinians, Israelis and the broader region,” UN-Secretary General Antonio Gutteres said.
The fragility of the deal, which has been more than six months in the making after it was presented by Washington in May 2024, was immediately clear after both sides begun claiming the other planned to renege. PM Netanyahu delayed a cabinet vote on Thursday, according to media reports, as Israeli forces continued bombarding the enclave.
Part of the complication is that the deal is not in effect yet, because it needs a resolution by Netanyahu’s cabinet, and with it would only take effect on Sunday.
“We hope that this will be the last page of the war, and we hope that all parties will commit to implementing all the terms of this agreement,” Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said.
“It is the result not only of the extreme pressure that Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran – but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy,” said outgoing US President Joe Biden.
Incoming US President Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated a day after the ceasefire is expected to begin, sent his envoy to the negotiations in Qatar and took credit for the advancement of possible peace in the region.
The Deal at Hand
The first stage of the deal is slated to take 42 days. Israel is expected to halt the attacks on Gaza and pull out its troops from the densely-populated region. It will also release Palestinian detainees, allow the return of the displaced population along the Gaza strip, and allow humanitarian aid.
If the deal holds, it will see Hamas release over 90 Israeli hostages still under its custody, including the deceased ones. Although negotiations for the second stage of the deal remain foggy, it could involve full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Throughout the campaign season for the US presidential elections, Trump criticized Biden for being ineffectual in the war. He promised to step up the rate of negotiations for peace in the region and get both parties to fold.
“This epic ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” Trump said in reaction to the deal.
