New Delhi:
Fifteen months after war in Gaza began, a 42-day ceasefire comes in force today. While the ceasefire announcement has brought hope to many in the region, Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said Tel Aviv had US support to return to war if necessary
- During the 42-day ceasefire, Palestinian militant groups will hand over 33 Israeli hostages and Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
- The ceasefire is mediated by Qatar. “As coordinated by the parties to the agreement and the mediators, the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will begin at 8:30 am (0630 GMT) on Sunday,” Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said.
- Israel continued to strike Gaza on the eve of the truce. According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, at least five members of a family were killed in a strike on their tent in Khan Yunis. In a show of support for Palestinians, Yemen’s Huthi rebels launched missiles at Israel.
- This would be the second truce in the Israel-Hamas war. Earlier, a week-long ceasefire in November 2023 had seen release of Israeli hostage in exchange of Palestinian prisoners. Hamas’ October 7 attacks in 2023 killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and 251 people were taken hostage. Israel’s counterstrike destroyed much of Gaza, killing 46,899 people, most of them civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
- In his remarks ahead of the ceasefire, Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu said Tel Aviv “changed the face of the Middle East” since the war in Gaza began. He added a warning, “If we are forced to resume the war, we will do so with force.”
- Hamas, however, said Israel “failed to achieve its aggressive goals” and “only succeeded in committing war crimes that disgrace the dignity of humanity”.
- The ceasefire in Gaza will come into force on the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration as US President for a second term. In a show on NBC yesterday, Trump spoke about the Gaza situation. He said he had told Netanyahu that the war “has to end”. “We want it to end, but to keep doing what has to be done,” he said.
- According to an AFP report, mediators had been trying to find a consensus for months, but nothing moves until Trump’s inauguration neared. In an unusual pairing, Brett McGurk, the point man for outgoing President Joe Biden, was joined by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff to finalise the agreement, US officials said.
- Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Palestinian Authority (PA), which holds partial administrative control in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, had completed preparations “to assume full responsibility in Gaza” after the war. Israel has expressed no clear stand on post-war governance apart from rejecting any role for Hamas or Palestinian Authority.
- Displaced Gazans, meanwhile, are eager to return home. “I will go to kiss my land,” said Nasr al-Gharabli, who fled Gaza City for a camp farther south. “If I die on my land, it would be better than being here as a displaced person.”
