Contents
Israel and Hamas have agreed on a ceasefire. Hostages should also be freed. The facts.
This is how the agreement came about: Qatar has mediated between Israel and Hamas in consultation with the USA. Hamas had already announced on Tuesday that it was ready to reach an agreement.
The content of the agreement: The core of the agreement is a ceasefire. The details are not yet known. The following key values have been confirmed:
- The ceasefire should at least four days last and be extendable.
- 50 women and children considered Hamas in the Gaza Strip hostages holds, should to be released. For every ten additional hostages Hamas releases, the ceasefire is to be extended by one day. This up to one Maximum of ten days.
- 150 Palestinian prisoners should be released from Israeli prisons dismissed become. If further hostages are freed, more prisoners would also be released.
- Israel allows this Delivering more relief suppliespossibly including fuel: around 300 trucks per day.
Why the agreement is coming now: On the one hand, domestic political pressure has increased. Relatives of the hostages are the driving force behind the demonstrations against Netanyahu. On the other hand, the pressure from outside is increasing – especially from Joe Biden. He wants to prevent a conflagration and fears losing support in the USA.
The timing of the ceasefire: It is still unclear exactly when the ceasefire will begin.
Legend:
No more bombs will fall for several days: Israel and Hamas have agreed on a ceasefire.
Keystone/ATEF SAFADI
This is how it continues now: The agreement now goes back to Qatar. The details are checked there. Then a 24-hour period begins to give Israeli citizens the opportunity to appeal to the Supreme Court to block the release of the Palestinian prisoners. A group of terror victims wants to do this, according to Israeli media. However, the court is not expected to take action against the government’s decision. When that deadline expires, the clock starts ticking. Hamas has already stated that it must first locate the living hostages. This will probably take some time.
The chances of a long-term ceasefire: According to Qatar, there is a possibility of extending the ceasefire that has now been decided. Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized yesterday: The fighting in the Gaza Strip should continue after a possible impending ceasefire. The war will continue even after an agreement with Hamas is implemented “until we have achieved all of our goals,” said Netanyahu before a vote in the cabinet on a draft of the deal.
The reactions: The agreement was received very positively globally. All major powers – the USA, China and Russia – have announced their support for the agreement. US President Joe Biden is looking forward to the planned release of hostages: “Today’s agreement should also enable the return home of more American hostages, and I will not give up until they are all free,” says Biden.
The EU also welcomes the agreement on a ceasefire lasting several days, as Ursula von der Leyen announced.
We hope this ceasefire will create a comprehensive and sustainable agreement that stops the war machine and the bloodshed.
The Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister emphasizes that this agreement must lead to a peace process: “We hope that this ceasefire will create a comprehensive and sustainable agreement that stops the war machine and the bloodshed.”