Hours after a ceasefire and hostage release agreement was announced, Israel ramped up strikes on Gaza, according to residents and officials in the Palestinian enclave. Mediators have been working to reduce violence ahead of the truce, set to commence on Sunday.
The intricate ceasefire agreement between Israel and the militant group Hamas, which governs Gaza, came to fruition after months of mediation from Qatar, Egypt, and the US, following 15 months of conflict that has ravaged the coastal territory and exacerbated tensions in the Middle East.
The agreement stipulates an initial ceasefire lasting six weeks and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, an area where tens of thousands have perished. The deal includes provisions for releasing hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.
Israel’s acceptance of the deal will not be official until it is approved by the country’s security cabinet and government.
During a press conference in Doha, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated that the ceasefire would take effect on Sunday. Negotiators are collaborating with both Israel and Hamas to implement the agreement, he added.
Donald Trump, the former president, is set to take office on Monday and has claimed credit for the breakthrough in Gaza.
As per an Israeli official, the deal’s acceptance will not be confirmed until the country’s security cabinet and government approve it, with voting scheduled for Thursday.
Despite some dissent from hardliners within Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, the accord is anticipated to gain approval.
While celebrations erupted in Gaza and Israel over the deal, reports indicated an escalation of Israeli military actions following the announcement, according to local emergency services and residents.
Heavy Israeli bombardment, especially in Gaza City, claimed the lives of 32 individuals.
Intense Israeli bombardment, particularly in Gaza City, resulted in the deaths of 32 people late Wednesday, as reported by medical personnel. Air strikes continued early Thursday, causing destruction to homes in Rafah, Nuseirat, and northern Gaza, residents disclosed.
The Israeli military did not provide immediate comments, and there were no reports of Hamas launching attacks against Israel following the ceasefire announcement.
A Palestinian official involved in the ceasefire negotiations indicated that mediators were attempting to encourage both parties to halt hostilities ahead of the ceasefire’s commencement.
Jubilation in Gaza
On social media, some residents of Gaza cautioned fellow Palestinians to be extra vigilant, fearing that Israel might intensify attacks in the coming days to maximize advantages before the ceasefire takes effect.
Despite this, news of the ceasefire deal ignited celebrations in Gaza, where residents have endured severe shortages of food, water, shelter, and fuel. In Khan Younis, crowds filled the streets, cheering, waving Palestinian flags, and dancing amidst the blaring of car horns.
“I am happy. Yes, I am crying, but those are tears of joy,” expressed Ghada, a displaced mother of five.
News of the ceasefire deal sparked jubilation in Gaza.
In Tel Aviv, families and friends of Israeli hostages expressed similar sentiments, stating in a message that they felt “overwhelming joy and relief (about) the agreement to bring our loved ones home.” In a statement on social media, Hamas hailed the agreement as “an achievement for our people” and “a turning point.”
If the ceasefire is successful, it will end hostilities that have devastated much of densely populated Gaza, resulting in over 46,000 casualties and the displacement of most of Gaza’s pre-war population of 2.3 million, according to local authorities.
This development could help ease tensions across the broader Middle East, where the conflict has intensified unrest in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, raising apprehensions of all-out war between regional adversaries Israel and Iran.
With 98 Israeli hostages still in Gaza, the initial phase of the deal involves the release of 33 hostages, including all women, children, and men over the age of 50. Among those set to be released in the first phase are two American hostages, Keith Siegel and Sagui Dekel-Chen, a source noted.
Read more: Israel, Hamas reach a Gaza truce and hostage release agreement.
Food lined up at Gaza’s borders
The terms of the agreement include a significant increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza, with the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross announcing preparations to enhance their aid operations.
“A ceasefire is the start – not the end. We have food lined up at the borders to Gaza – and we need to be able to bring it in at scale,” stated Cindy McCain, executive director of the World Food Program, on X.
The global response to the ceasefire has been enthusiastic, with leaders and officials from Egypt, Turkey, Britain, the United Nations, the European Union, Jordan, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates, among others, celebrating the news.
Both Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump have claimed credit for the deal, which took months to negotiate but was pushed to completion by a Trump envoy.
Mr. Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, participated in the Qatar negotiations alongside White House representatives, and a senior Biden administration official remarked that Mr. Witkoff’s involvement was crucial to finalizing the agreement after 96 hours of intense discussions.
Wounded individuals are transported to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital for medical treatment, despite the ongoing ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.
Mr. Biden remarked that the two teams had “been speaking as one.”
Families of Israeli hostages expressed concerns that the agreement may not be fully enacted and that some hostages might be left behind in Gaza.
Discussions regarding the second phase of the agreement will commence on the 16th day of the first phase, which is expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, a lasting ceasefire, and the complete evacuation of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The third phase aims to address the return of all remaining deceased individuals and the initiation of Gaza’s reconstruction, supervised by Egypt, Qatar, and the United Nations.
If everything unfolds smoothly, Palestinians, Arab states, and Israel must still agree on a vision for post-war Gaza, including the crucial question of who will govern Gaza after the conflict.
Israeli forces entered Gaza following a Hamas-led assault on Israeli border communities on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 soldiers and civilians and the abduction of over 250 hostages, according to Israeli counts.
