Israel and Hamas reach crucial ceasefire in Qatar deal

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday evening that the final details of the ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages are still being finalized in Doha. The deal is scheduled to take effect on January 19, coinciding with the release of the first Israeli hostages.

According to the statement, Netanyahu will make an official announcement regarding the agreement only "after the final details, which are currently being worked on, are completed."

This statement was confirmed on Wednesday evening by Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. "The details of the agreement will be released in the coming days once finalized," he announced.

al-Thani explained that a "monitoring mechanism" will be established, consisting of representatives from the US, Qatar, and Egypt, headquartered in Cairo, to oversee the implementation of the agreement. "We hope the mechanism will be ready by Sunday, when the ceasefire begins," stated al-Thani at a press conference.

Earlier on Wednesday, mediators reported that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement in Qatar for a ceasefire after 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip. The agreement includes the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

Officials from Qatar, which mediated the talks, and Hamas confirmed the agreement.

According to the Times of Israel, the complex agreement outlines a six-week initial phase of the ceasefire, includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, and entails the release of hostages taken by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

A UN report indicates that after the Israeli airstrikes, the Gaza Strip was reduced to 46 million short tons of rubble. Bloomberg described this amount as enough to stretch a line of dump trucks from New York to Singapore. Removing it all could take years and cost up to 700 million dollars, the agency reports.

Once the agreement is implemented, Hamas will gradually release 33 Israeli hostages within the first 42 days of the ceasefire. Three hostages are to be released on the first day of the truce, followed by four more on the seventh day. Subsequently, three hostages will be released every seven days, with the last 14 being released in the final week of the initial phase.

The remaining 65 hostages will be released only if the parties agree on a second phase of the truce. Negotiations for this phase will begin about two weeks after the fighting ceases.

The Israeli Prime Minister's office emphasized that there are "many clauses" in the agreement that are still being finalized and expressed hope that "the details will be finalized by tonight."

Israel's Channel 12 reported that discussions will continue throughout the night to resolve the final issues, allowing the agreement to be signed on Thursday.

According to Israeli media, Israel's security cabinet is set to meet at 11 AM Eastern Time on Thursday to officially approve the agreement. Following this, lists of Palestinian prisoners to be released will be published.

Unofficial reports from Channel 12 indicate that the list of 33 hostages to be released in the first phase includes four civilian women, five female soldiers, Shiri Bibas with her two young sons Ariel and infant Kfir, 10 men aged 50 and older, and 11 disabled men.

Channel 12 reported that Hamas claims not all members of this group are alive. Although this has not been officially confirmed, it is expected to be clarified within the first week of the agreement's implementation. Meanwhile, Israel believes that the majority of the 33 people on the list are still alive.

In exchange for the release of 33 hostages, Israel is expected to release over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including at least 250 individuals "with blood on their hands." Some were captured in the Gaza Strip after October 7, 2023. According to Israeli authorities, no one involved in the invasion will be released.

The Times of Israel reports that it is believed in Israel that 94 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023, remain in the Gaza Strip, including the bodies of at least 34 people whose deaths have been confirmed by the Israel Defense Forces.

Hamas released 105 civilians during a week-long ceasefire at the end of November 2023, and four hostages were released earlier. Eight hostages were rescued alive by the military, and the bodies of 40 hostages were recovered, including three accidentally killed by the military while attempting to escape.

Hamas also holds two Israeli civilians who entered the Gaza Strip in 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two Israeli Defense Forces soldiers who died in 2014.