Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement, mediators announced Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. The deal includes the phased release of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel.
The move will temporarily halt a destructive 15-month conflict in the Gaza Strip and offer hope for an end to one of the deadliest periods of violence between the two sides.
The agreement, brokered after weeks of intensive negotiations in Doha, includes a phased release of hostages held by Hamas, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and provisions to enable displaced residents of Gaza to return to what remains of their homes. Additionally, the deal paves the way for a significant influx of humanitarian aid to alleviate the dire conditions in the devastated territory.
President Joe Biden is expected to address the breakthrough agreement later on Thursday. While the deal is anticipated to go into effect in the coming days, it still requires approval from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet.
The deal is expected to provide a six-week pause in fighting, with the goal of opening negotiations to end the war entirely. During this period, 33 of the nearly 100 hostages will be released, though it remains unclear whether all are alive after months of captivity without contact.
Questions remain about when and how displaced Palestinians will return to their homes and whether the agreement will lead to the full cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli troops, which are key demands from Hamas. Long-term issues regarding the governance of Gaza and the reconstruction process remain unresolved.
Despite these uncertainties, the announcement has raised hopes that the ongoing conflict, which has caused extensive destruction and instability in the region, may be nearing an end.
At least 120 Palestinian children have been killed in Gaza over the past 15 days, according to a report from the UN's children's agency released Wednesday.
On Tuesday night, an Israeli airstrike in Deir Al Balah killed 12 family members, including the wife and four children of Raafat Salha, a well-known relief worker in Gaza, as reported by the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR). Salha, the director of ICHR, sustained critical injuries, leading to the amputation of his leg.
In a statement regarding the attack on Salha's home, the Israeli military claimed they targeted a "terrorist in the Islamic Jihad's military intelligence unit operating in the Humanitarian Area in Deir al Balah."
In a separate airstrike, at least seven people sheltering at the Al-Farabi School in Gaza City were killed overnight, as reported by officials from Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital. In the Al Bureij refugee camp, several casualties were also reported following airstrikes in the area.
