Egypt announced on Saturday a landmark agreement between Israel and Hamas, where Israel will release over 1,890 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 33 Israeli detainees held by Hamas during the initial phase of a Gaza ceasefire.
The ceasefire, brokered by Egypt with support from regional and international partners, is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT) on Sunday, according to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
Over a 42-day period, Hamas will release 33 Israeli detainees while Israel frees more than 1,890 Palestinian prisoners. Mediators have emphasized their commitment to ensuring the full and timely implementation of the agreement across all three of its stages.
Egypt expressed hope that the ceasefire will pave the way toward alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people, urging the international community, particularly the United States, to support and solidify the agreement and work toward establishing a permanent ceasefire.
Cairo also called on global actors to provide essential humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people and to devise an urgent plan for the reconstruction of Gaza.
The Egyptian government stressed the importance of accelerating efforts to rebuild trust between the two sides, facilitating a return to negotiations, and addressing the Palestinian issue within the framework of the two-state solution in accordance with international resolutions. This vision aims to establish an independent Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
In collaboration with Qatar and the United States, Egypt will set up a joint operations center in Cairo to oversee the exchange of detainees and prisoners, the flow of humanitarian aid, and the movement of individuals following the reopening of the Rafah crossing.
Since October 7, 2023, Hamas and Israel have been locked in intense conflict, resulting in the deaths of over 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza and causing unprecedented destruction. The hostilities began after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, which led to the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis and more than 250 individuals taken hostage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Saturday that Israel retains the right to return to combat if necessary. “If we have to return to war, we will do so in new ways and with great force,” Netanyahu said in a video statement regarding the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
Netanyahu highlighted that international support backs Israel’s right to resume military operations if negotiations in the next phases of the agreement prove “futile.”
He affirmed that Israel will maintain a strong military presence along the Egypt-Gaza border, known as the Philadelphi Corridor. “Not only will we not reduce the forces there, we will even increase them a little,” Netanyahu stated, emphasizing that Israeli forces will be deployed inside the Gaza Strip and will secure it from all sides.
“We will not allow weapons to be smuggled in, nor allow our hostages to be smuggled out,” he added, noting that most of the 33 Israeli hostages due to be released starting Sunday in the first phase of the agreement are alive.
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Israel to free Palestinian prisoners, retains right to return to war
cgtn.com
