Destroyed buildings in the Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza City, following Israeli airstrikes, are seen on October 11, 2023. (Photo: Yahya Hassouna/AFP/Getty Images)The Israeli government and Hamas have announced that they are in the final stages of indirect negotiations over a ceasefire agreement and the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel.
The deal is structured in three phases, with the first phase expected to last 42 days.
This agreement could provide the first substantial respite from conflict for the people of Gaza in over a year, marking only the second ceasefire since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack.
During the initial phase, Hamas and its allies would release 33 hostages captured since October 7, including women, children, men over 50, and injured individuals. In return, Israel would release “many hundreds” of Palestinian prisoners, including some convicted of killing Israelis.
An Israeli official noted that the exact number of Palestinian prisoners to be released has not been finalized because Hamas has yet to confirm how many of the 33 hostages are still alive. Israel has indicated it will exchange a larger number of Palestinian prisoners for live hostages compared to deceased individuals.
Additionally, Palestinian civilians in Gaza will be permitted to return to the northern region of the territory, with unspecified “security arrangements” in place.
During the first phase of the agreement, the Israeli military would begin withdrawing from population centers but would maintain its presence along the Gaza-Egypt border, also known as the Philadelphi Corridor, according to the Israeli official.
The Philadelphi Corridor, stretching approximately 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) in length and 100 meters (330 feet) in width, is part of a broader demilitarized zone created under the 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.
Source: The Multinational Force & Observers
Graphic: Lou Robinson, CNN
Israel would also establish a buffer zone within Gaza along its border, a key issue that has remained a point of contention in the negotiations.
The agreement is expected to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, as reported by the Associated Press, which has reviewed a draft of the deal.
As part of the first phase, the deal would include the release of five Israeli female soldiers held by Hamas, with each soldier exchanged for 50 Palestinian prisoners. This would include 30 convicted militants currently serving life sentences, according to the Associated Press.
Palestinian prisoners convicted of killing Israelis would not be released into the West Bank but would be sent to Gaza or abroad, following arrangements with foreign governments.
Hamas and its allies are still holding 94 individuals taken from Israel on October 7, 2023. At least 34 of them are confirmed dead, according to the Israeli government, though the actual number is believed to be higher. Hamas also holds four hostages who were captured in 2014, at least two of whom are deceased.
According to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, of the 94 hostages taken on October 7, 81 are men, 13 are women, and two are children under the age of five. Among them, 84 are Israelis, eight are Thai, one is Nepalese, and one is Tanzanian.
Israel is currently holding at least 10,000 Palestinian prisoners, according to the Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society. This number excludes those taken captive in Gaza, and includes 3,376 individuals held under administrative detention without charges or trial, among them 95 children and 22 women.
The second phase of the ceasefire agreement, aimed at ending the war, would begin negotiations on the 16th day after the deal’s implementation, according to an Israeli official. However, the ceasefire beyond the first phase is not guaranteed. Israel is eager to "bring all our hostages back home" and will negotiate in good faith for the second phase, which could involve the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
While Israel has not committed to ending the war in the agreement, it has pledged to engage in talks for the next phase, which could lead to the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops. Mediators have reportedly given Hamas verbal assurances that they will pressure Israel to agree to the next phases of the deal.
Since launching its offensive in response to Hamas' October 7 attack, the Israeli military has killed at least 46,645 Palestinians in Gaza, with more than 110,000 injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
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