All You Need to Know About the Initial Gaza Ceasefire Deal

Key Highlights of the Gaza Truce Agreement:

Prisoner-Hostage Swap Details

• Israeli government spokesman David Mencer confirmed that Israel seeks the release of 33 hostages in the first phase of the agreement.Source: Israeli and Palestinian officials)

• Israel is prepared to release several hundred Palestinian prisoners in exchange, with estimates ranging from hundreds to approximately 1,000.

• Hamas sources indicated that the prisoners include individuals with lengthy sentences.

Hostage Release Conditions

• The 33 hostages are part of 94 individuals taken during Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. This figure includes 34 hostages declared dead by the Israeli military.

• The release will prioritize children and women, with the process occurring in batches.

• Israeli officials believe all 33 hostages are alive, but confirmation from Hamas is pending.

Second Phase Negotiations

• Talks for a second phase are expected to begin 16 days after the implementation of the first phase.

• This phase will focus on releasing male soldiers, men of military age, and the bodies of deceased hostages.

Israeli Buffer Zone in Gaza

• During the first phase, Israeli forces will maintain a buffer zone up to 800 meters inside Gaza, stretching from Rafah to Beit Hanun.

• Israeli forces will not fully withdraw until all hostages are returned.

• Residents from southern Gaza will be allowed to return north through a checkpoint equipped with cameras, with no Israeli forces present and Palestinian militants barred from passage.

Contentious Issues

• Disagreements remain over the permanence of a ceasefire, the scale of humanitarian aid, and the return of displaced Gazans to their homes.

• Other key sticking points include troop withdrawal, border crossing reopenings, and governance of Gaza.

Negotiation Process

• Talks are ongoing in Qatar, with Israeli and Hamas negotiators in separate rooms.

• Any final agreement will require approval from Israel’s cabinet.