MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ceasefire agreed upon between Israel and Hamas

Only 94 of the hostages are believed to still be alive

Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas agreed on a 42-day ceasefire to come into effect on Sunday in Gaza, during which some Israeli hostages will be released -dead or alive- in exchange for convicted terrorists serving their sentences in Tel Aviv's correctional system.

The understanding is also expected to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. Over 46,700 people have been killed since the Oct. 7, 2023, raids by the Palestinian terrorist group killing over 1,400 Israelis and kidnapping 251 others, including some foreign nationals. While some have been already released, only 94 are believed to still be alive.

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohamed bin Abderrahman, whose country was one of the main mediators of the deal along with Egypt and the US, confirmed the agreement. In addition, US President Joseph Biden and his predecessor and successor Donald Trump also took credit for the diplomatic achievement. “We have an agreement for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly. thank you!,” Trump said on Truth Social.

“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans and our Allies,” Trump added in another post.

“Today, after many months of intensive diplomacy by the United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage deal,” Biden posted on X. “My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done,” he added.

“I knew that this agreement would have to be implemented by the next team, so I told mine to coordinate closely with the incoming team to make sure that we were all speaking with the same voice, because that's what American presidents do,” Biden also pointed out.

Qatar, Egypt, and the United States will establish in Cairo a cease-fire monitoring mechanism to supervise the implementation of the agreement. It will feature a “complaint mechanism” to report any violation of its terms.

During the first six-week phase, 33 Israeli hostages - chiefly children, women, and the elderly - will be released in exchange for more than 1,200 Palestinian prisoners, it was later explained.

“This deal was achieved because of the help of many and demonstrates that a policy of peace through strength wins,” said Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who reportedly joined the talks in Doha.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the ceasefire's success would depend on Israel and Hamas “acting in good faith in order to ensure that this agreement does not collapse.”