Israel and Hamas have agreed to a four-day cease-fire in the war in Gaza, which will result in the release of fifty hostages held by militants and the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners. The truce is seen as a breakthrough in the conflict, which has been ongoing for seven weeks and has caused significant destruction in Gaza and increased violence in the West Bank. The cease-fire was announced by Qatar and will take effect on Thursday morning. Both Israel and Hamas have agreed to release women and children first, and the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza will be increased. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel will resume the war after the truce and continue fighting until all goals, including the destruction of Hamas and the return of all hostages, are achieved.
The announcement of the cease-fire comes after weeks of negotiations between Qatar, Israel, and Hamas. The United States and Egypt were also involved in talks to secure the release of hostages captured by Hamas during their raid in October. US President Joe Biden has welcomed the deal and expressed support for the release of hostages and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Qatar’s prime minister hopes that the cease-fire will eventually lead to a permanent resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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The process of releasing hostages will force Israel to rein in its offensive and may result in the end of the war without achieving its goal of crushing Hamas. The conflict has already drawn international criticism of Israel, and there have been concerns about the heavy toll on Palestinian civilians. In recent days, airstrikes have caused more casualties, including the deaths of children. The release of prisoners will likely be seen as a major achievement by Hamas and a victory if the war ends.
The war has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians and displacement of over 1.7 million people. The territory has also experienced severe shortages of food, medicine, and other basic necessities. The return of hostages will bring relief to their families in Israel, but there may also be divisions as some hostages are released while others remain in Gaza. Soldiers are expected to be the last to be released, and their families may push for an extension of the truce until they are returned home. Hamas, on the other hand, will have an opportunity to regroup and rebuild after suffering heavy losses. Israeli troops and tanks are expected to remain in place, despite the risks they face behind enemy lines.
