Israel and Hamas have agreed to a deal that will secure the release of dozens of hostages who were kidnapped during the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in exchange for a temporary ceasefire, added humanitarian aid, and the release of Palestinians held in Israel.
The ceasefire is expected to last for four to five days, and the Israelis will release three Palestinians in its custody for roughly 50 hostages, all women and children, Hamas releases. The deal also includes a provision that the Red Cross would be granted access to the hostages, which they have previously not had.
ISRAEL-HAMAS HOSTAGE NEGOTIATIONS ARE ‘CLOSEST WE’VE BEEN TO A DEAL,’ US OFFICIAL SAYS
Qatar and the U.S. have been key negotiators in the weeks that led up to Tuesday’s agreement.
The agreement marks the first time Israel has agreed to a temporary ceasefire since it declared war against Hamas in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks that left roughly 1,200 people dead. The vast majority of the victims were civilians, many of whom showed signs of being tortured, brutally attacked, and in some cases, burnt beyond recognition.
Roughly 240 people are presumed to be among the hostages who have been held in Gaza since the terrorist attacks. Only five have regained their freedom prior to this agreement, while two others were found dead in Gaza. Hamas is not the only terrorist group that operates out of Gaza, though it is the largest, which adds to the complexities of the agreement.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), one of the smaller terror groups based in Gaza, is said to have about 30 hostages and it’s unclear whether they could be included in any agreement between Hamas and Israel or whether PIJ would abide by a ceasefire orchestrated by Hamas and Israel.
It’s also unknown how this agreement will impact any future deal given there will still be more than 150 hostages still in Gaza, or whether the first cessation of fighting could change Israel’s current course of action.
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U.S. and Israeli officials have said previously they would not support a complete ceasefire where Hamas remains in power due to the threat that they’d use that time to plan for future attacks and resupply.
There has been precedent for Israel to give up a much larger number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for a smaller number of Israelis in return. Back in October 2011, Hamas released an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who they held captive for five years in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
