Israel and Hamas reached a deal on Tuesday that includes a four-day ceasefire, the release of 50 Hamas-held hostages and various Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. To address the acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the deal permits the inflow of much-needed resources such as food, water, fuel, and other humanitarian aid.
The deal, however, did not take effect immediately. As per a released statement by Qatar, who participated in the negotiation process, the specific commencement time would be released 24 hours post the announcement. Israeli media has reported the expected date of execution is Thursday, allowing a day for the public to appeal to the Supreme Court to object against releasing specific prisoners.
Upon activation of the deal, hostilities will halt for four days, leading to the release of 50 hostages and an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners. These released individuals would primarily include women and children. Although not publicly confirmed by Israel, Hamas suggests the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners. This temporary four-day ceasefire could extend further, with Israel agreeing to extend it each day for every 10 additional hostages released by Hamas.
The announcement comes following weeks of damaging speculation and over a month of war initiated by the Hamas after their October 7 attacks on Israel. This initial assault resulted in the death of 1200 people, primarily civilians, and over 200 taken hostage in Gaza. It has been suggested that these actions, alongside rocket attacks on civilian areas, may constitute war crimes under international law. Also noteworthy is the complaint submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC) alleging genocide by the victim families of the October 7 attacks.
Post these attacks, Israel’s retaliatory siege and invasion of Gaza resulted in more than 11,000 Palestinian casualties, predominantly civilians. This strained aid-supply along with the intensified military action led to severe conditions for Gaza civilians, termed “catastrophic” by the World Health Organization. Along with other organizations, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International claimed the Israeli attacks on certain locations and high number of journalist casualties may amount to war crimes. However, Israel has denied such claims, arguing a defense against Hamas’ embedding within civilian locations.
Demanding aid supply, ceasefire, and hostage release, international voices grow louder. Among them, UN Secretary General, António Guterres insisted on the necessity to “end the suffering and avoid a spillover of the conflict.” Also notable are the public movements that include countries severing diplomatic ties with Israel, and global city-wide protests appealing for a ceasefire.
Despite this temporary relief, Israel and Hamas signal their readiness to prolong the fight, with Israel stating intentions to “continue the war” and Hamas promising their “hands will remain on the trigger.”