After 15 months of relentless conflict, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement on Wednesday, marking a critical step forward toward ending one of the region’s most destructive wars in recent history. The truce, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, is set to last six weeks and include a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The ceasefire will see Israeli forces gradually withdraw from Gaza, while Hamas commits to releasing hostages. In exchange, Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails will be freed. Additionally, the deal prioritises the scaling up of humanitarian aid to Gaza, with the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross set to intensify relief operations.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the ceasefire a “moment of tremendous relief” for both Israelis and Palestinians. “This is a moment of tremendous relief for Israelis and Palestinians alike. It’s also a moment of historic possibility for the region and well beyond. tremendous effort, political courage, and compromise to realize that possibility, to try to ensure that the gains that have been achieved over the past 15 months at enormous, excruciating cost are actually enduring, to manage the still profound risks, to deliver on the promise of a more integrated Middle East,” Blinken stated.
Blinken outlined key priorities to ensure the ceasefire endures. These include fully implementing the agreement and establishing a comprehensive plan for Gaza’s governance, security, and reconstruction. He also linked the ceasefire to the possibility of normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, contingent on a credible framework for a Palestinian state.
#WATCH | On Israel-Hamas ceasefire, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says,” “This is a moment of tremendous relief for Israelis and Palestinians alike…It’s also a moment of historic possibility for the region and well beyond. tremendous effort, political courage, and… pic.twitter.com/H4pQEEqL39
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The toll of the conflict has been staggering. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported over 46,700 Palestinians killed and more than 1,10,000 wounded since October 2023. On the Israeli side, 1,139 people were killed during Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, with over 200 taken hostage.
