Gaza Peace Deal: First phase accepted

After a deadly and devastating two years since the October 7 attacks and the intense Gaza War that followed, Israel and Hamas are today closer than ever towards reaching a lasting and genuine ceasefire. US President Donald Trump said that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of his Gaza peace deal. This represents a major milestone, unlike any previous effort, concerning halting a war that had evolved into a regional conflict.

The agreement would see the release of all the remaining Israeli hostages in 72 hours after the Israeli Cabinet approves the deal (meaning by Monday). In return, the Israeli army is expected to withdraw to “an agreed upon line,” according to Trump’s post on his Truth Social. Additionally, Tel Aviv is also supposed to release 250 of Palestinians serving life sentences in Israeli prisons and 1,700 Palestinians detained by the IDF in Gaza since October 7, 2023.

The breakthrough occurred after constructive negotiations between the contending parties – which included USA, Qatar, Egypt and even Turkey – began in Egypt’s Sharam el-Sheikh on Monday.

However, as mentioned earlier, the deal will only come into effect upon the approval of the Israeli government. The latter is expected to meet today afternoon to announce its decision accordingly. Despite the fact that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared this “a great day for Israel,” concerns regarding the far-right’s rejection remain valid. Just yesterday, on October 8, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem and called on Netanyahu to pursue “complete victory” over Hamas in Gaza. He has previously threatened to resign unless the Palestinian group is completely destroyed.