A ceasefire agreement with Hamas has been formally accepted by the Israeli government and is scheduled to go into effect on Sunday, January 19, 2025. After lengthy deliberations and a recommendation from the security cabinet, which had previously approved the agreement earlier this week, this decision was made. In exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, the agreement calls for the gradual release of hostages held by Hamas.
The first stage entails the release of 33 Israeli hostages, all of whom are women, with other hostage releases to be discussed later.
Up to 1,000 Palestinian inmates will be freed by Israel in exchange during this round.
The six-week ceasefire is organized into three stages, with the goal of stopping fighting and enabling the passage of humanitarian aid into
It is anticipated that Israeli soldiers will leave densely populated regions of Gaza, allowing displaced Palestinians to return and boosting aid.
The conflict started on October 7, 2023, and lasted for 15 months before this agreement. Both sides have suffered heavy losses as a result of the conflict; sources suggest that Israeli military actions have killed around 46,700 Palestinians. There have been conflicting responses to the ceasefire announcement in Israel, especially from hardliners who are against making concessions to Hamas. Nonetheless, a lot of people believe that this is an important step toward regional peace and security.
The agreement has also received backing from international groups, which have emphasized the necessity of humanitarian access to lessen the suffering brought on by the ongoing violence. The UN has demanded
