Israel and Hamas reach Gaza ceasefire deal, what are the next steps?
Palestinians celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, 15 January 2025
Al Jazeera writes on 16 January 2025:
Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement after 15 months of devastating war that has left Gaza – home to 2.3 million Palestinians – in ruins.
The deal, which is expected to be implemented in three phases starting on Sunday, was approved by the Hamas group on Wednesday.
Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut reporting from Amman said the delay shows the internal political conflict within Netanyahu’s coalition government.
The agreement spread over three months will see a surge in humanitarian aid, gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the release of Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The deal, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, also talks about post-war reconstruction efforts in the Palestinian enclave, where more than 60 percent of buildings have been destroyed and damaged in the nonstop Israeli bombardment since October 7, 2023.
January 19 (Day 1)
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced on Wednesday that the deal will take effect from Sunday, when the first Israeli captives are expected to be released and guns will fall silent.
Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip, said the situation on the ground is a mix of cautious relief, hope and lingering grief. “Civilians are still absolutely afraid regarding the expansion of the scale of attacks in Gaza in the next 72 hours,” he said, adding that more than 30 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air raids in the past day.
Abu Azzoum said the agreement stipulates that about 600 humanitarian aid trucks will be allowed into the Strip on a daily basis. “But Israel has a very prolonged history of violations regarding commitment to ceasefire agreements,” he said. Aid agencies have called for unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza, where famine may have taken hold.
Relatives and supporters of the Israeli captives held in Gaza reacted to the news of the deal. Ifat Kalderon, cousin of Israeli captive Ofer Kalderon, said in Tel Aviv that she feels joy, but also “terrible anxiety that it will actually happen”. “It’s going to be a huge relief, first of all, whenever I see Ofer,” she said. “Second, whenever I see the last hostages crossing the border. And we are going to be here protesting every day until it’s going to happen because I don’t know if it’s going to happen.”
January 25 (Day 7)
On day seven, internally displaced Palestinians will be allowed to return to northern Gaza, which has been under a deadly military siege since October, without carrying arms and without inspection via al-Rashid Street.