The Israeli government has confirmed that implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza will begin on January 19.
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“The government has approved a plan for the return of the abducted persons. The implementation of the plan for the release of the abducted persons will begin on Sunday, January 19, 2025,” the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
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The parties to the conflict in the Palestinian Gaza Strip – Israel and the Hamas movement – with the mediation of Qatar, Egypt and the United States, agreed on a ceasefire from January 19 for 42 days and announced a desire for the final end of hostilities, which in 15 months claimed the lives of 46 thousand Palestinians and about one and a half thousands of Israelis, spread to Lebanon and Yemen, and provoked an exchange of missile strikes between Israel and Iran.
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The first stage of the deal involves the release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for about a thousand Palestinian prisoners. Israeli troops must withdraw to the borders of the Gaza Strip, although they will remain within their borders for now. From the first day of the truce, the supply of humanitarian aid will increase – up to 600 trucks per day, including 50 with fuel. Palestinians will receive 200 thousand tents and 60 thousand mobile homes.
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The guarantors of the agreement are Qatar, Egypt and the United States, which will create a coordination center in Cairo. On the 16th day of the truce, Israel and Hamas pledged to begin negotiations on the second stage of the deal, which would presumably include the release of the remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops. The guarantors of the peace process are also talking about the third stage, which includes the exchange of remains, the restoration of the Gaza Strip and the end of its blockade.
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This is the second truce during the conflict: the first was concluded in November 2023 and lasted only six days.
