Gaza City, Gaza Strip – After a four-day pause in fighting, thousands of Palestinians began returning to their homes in northern Gaza on โขFriday as the first phase of a ceasefire โฃbetween Israel and Hamas commenced. The truce, brokered by โฃQatar, Egypt, and โฃthe United States, also includes the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners heldโข in Israeli jails.
The ceasefire began at 7 a.m. local time, and within hours, displaced Palestinians were seenโค walking โnorth along Salah al-Din Street, the main north-south road in Gaza, according to reportsโฃ from the area. โฃThe United Nations estimates thatโฃ approximately 1.7 million people – roughly 75% of Gaza’s population – have been displaced since the โฃstart ofโ the conflict on October 7.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas is to โฃreleaseโ 50 hostages – women and children โข- over the four days. inโฃ return, Israel will release โ150 Palestinians from it’s โขprisons, alsoโ focusing โคon women and children.Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official and lead negotiator, confirmedโ Thursday evening that all womenโ and children held in Israeli jails would be freed.
The exchange is expectedโ to beginโฃ Monday,though some officials suggest it could occur as early as Sunday night.โค Egyptian officials briefed on the talks and โขa Hamas official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations.
The deal also addresses the fate of hostages believed to have died in captivity. โฃA relative of one such hostage expressed hope for the return of remains for burial.โค “It’s a measured sense of hope in all hostage families,” said Stephen Brisley,whose sister,Lianne Sharabi,and her two teenage daughters were โkilled in the Oct. 7 attack. Herโค husband, Eli Sharabi, was released, but her brother, Yossi, is โbelieved to have died inโ an โairstrike in January 2024, andโข the family hopes to give him a dignified burial. “We hold our hope lightly because we’ve had our hopes dashed before,” brisley told The Associatedโ Press.
The conflict began when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel โคon October 7, killing approximately 1,200 โขpeople and taking over 240 hostages. Israel responded wiht extensive airstrikes and a ground offensive โin Gaza, resulting in a significant number of Palestinian casualties. Healthโ officials in Gaza report over 13,300 Palestinians have beenโข killed as the startโค of โฃthe war.
The ceasefire does not address long-term political solutionsโข for the region.Aโ previously proposed “Trump plan” called for an open-ended Israeli military presence in Gaza โand an โinternationally-led reconstruction effort, but it was firmly โrejected by Palestinian leadership andโ offered only vague prospects for a future Palestinianโข state.
