Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement that will take effect on Sunday, January 19. Qatar, which mediated the negotiations, confirmed the news during a press conference on Wednesday evening.
The truce includes the release of hostages, humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the hope that the fighting will eventually stop completely.
Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Al-Thani, announced on Wednesday that the ceasefire will have an initial duration of six weeks, according to Swedish TV4.
The Prime Minister expressed hope that the truce will lead to a permanent solution.
– Hopefully, these are the last negotiations leading to a permanent ceasefire.
Under the three-stage agreement, Hamas will, in phase one, release 33 Israeli hostages (out of a total of 98) in exchange for Israel releasing a number of Palestinian prisoners. The parties have also agreed to allow daily shipments of up to 600 trucks of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the Associated Press reports.
The “Trump effect” may have played a role
Political analysts and experts believe that US President-elect Donald Trump may have had an indirect impact on the agreement.
Isabell Schierenbeck, a political scientist at the University of Gothenburg, says: “Trump’s upcoming inauguration has probably acted as a catalyst for the parties to reach a ceasefire. There is a clear political signal that it may be more difficult to negotiate in the future”, she says in a comment to Stampen-owned Göteborgs-Posten.
Trump himself has taken credit for the agreement, expressing this on his social platform Truth Social.
– This epic ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our historic victory in November, he wrote.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly thanked Donald Trump in a phone call for his role in making the truce possible.
Some hope but also uncertainty
The ceasefire is welcomed by many international actors as an important step towards reducing tensions and delivering much-needed humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, among others, expressing his support for the agreement and stressing the importance of getting aid to those in need.
Despite this, there is still uncertainty about how sustainable the agreement will be. Previous ceasefires have been broken by both sides, and the conflict between Israel and Hamas remains deeply rooted.
According to local reports, both sides plan to use the ceasefire to redeploy their forces, raising fears that fighting could resume with renewed intensity after the agreement ends.
Swedish foreign minister: “Greatly welcomed”
Several countries, including Sweden, have welcomed the agreement. The Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maria Malmer Stenergard (M), expresses cautious hope.
– The news of a ceasefire in Gaza is greatly welcomed. At last, several hostages can be reunited with their families. My thoughts are with the families of those who have not returned alive. It is now absolutely essential that the ceasefire eases the immense suffering of Gaza’s civilian population and increases access to humanitarian aid, writes the Foreign Minister in a comment to TV4.
Draft ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas (according to Associated Press).
PHASE 1: (42 days)
- Hamas releases 33 hostages, including female civilians and soldiers, children and civilians over 50.
- Israel releases 30 Palestinian prisoners for every civilian hostage and 50 for every female soldier.
- Fighting stops, Israeli forces move out of populated areas to the outskirts of the Gaza Strip.
- Displaced Palestinians start returning home, more aid enters the Strip.
PHASE 2: (42 days)
- Declaration of “sustainable calm”.
- Hamas releases remaining male hostages (soldiers and civilians) in exchange for a yet to be negotiated number of Palestinian prisoners and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.
PHASE 3:
- Bodies of deceased Israeli hostages are exchanged for bodies of deceased Palestinian soldiers.
- Implementation of a reconstruction plan in Gaza.
- Border crossings into and out of Gaza are reopened.