Gaza Ceasefire Deal: What It Entails

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The Israeli government has finally approved the deal for a ceasefire in Gaza announced by Qatar on Wednesday, Jan. 15.

Comprised of three six-week phases, the deal is expected to start on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 8:30 am local time in Gaza.

Here’s what the deal entails and what’s next.

Phase 1

Expected start date: Jan. 19, 2025
Duration: 6 weeks

• Ceasefire: Halt in fighting
• Hostages release/ prisoners exchange: 
  • Hamas will release 33 hostages, which include women, children and the elderly
  • Israel will release 30 Palestinians it detained for every civilian hostage Hamas releases and 50 Palestinians it detained for every Israeli woman soldier
  • It will release about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including approximately 250 serving life sentences, by 
• Israeli troops withdrawal: Israeli troops will withdraw from populated areas in Gaza to about 700 meters from Gaza’s border with Israel.
• Displaced Palestinians return to their homes: Israel will also allow Palestinians to return to their homes in the besieged north Gaza
• Aid enters Gaza: up to 600 aid trucks will enter Gaza.
• Rafah crossing opens for injured Palestinians to leave for treatment:: Israel will also allow injured Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip for treatment, opening the Rafah crossing with Egypt seven days after the first phase begins.

Phase 2

Expected start date: March 1, 2025
Duration: 6 weeks

• By Jan. 25, Israel will open the Rafah Crossing with Egypt seven days after the first phase begins for injured Palestinians to leave to seek treatment.
• By Feb. 3, Israel and Hamas will start negotiating the second phase no later than 16 days after the start of the ceasefire, which is expected to start on Mar. 1.
• More hostage release release and exchange
  • Hamas will release the rest of the hostages, believed to number about 65.
  • In return, Israel will release more than 1,000 Palestinians.
• Israeli forces continue to withdraw from Gaza.
  • Israeli forces also begin withdrawing from the Philadelphi Corridor separating Gaza and Egypt.
  • By March 9, Israeli forces should complete full withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor.

Phase 3

Start date: April 12, 2025
Duration: 6 weeks

• Details remain unclear, but April 12 is the expected start date of the third phase of the ceasefire.
• Hamas will return the bodies of the remaining hostages.
• By April 12, the three- to five-year reconstruction of Gaza begins with international supervision.
• As of Jan. 18, disagreements still remain over who will govern Gaza after the war.

Israel and Hamas will negotiate the second and third phases, which are understood to be agreed to in principle, during the initial six weeks.

However, the halt in fighting should continue even if the negotiations continue beyond the six weeks period, US president Joe Biden said.

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