CAIRO (AP) – Shelling ceased and Israeli forces withdrew from the Gaza Strip on Friday under a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. But will the agreement work? US President Donald Trump Have we proclaimed “a strong, lasting, and everlasting peace”?
pressure was applied Israel and Hamas Participants from the United States, Arab countries and Turkey were killed as they each said it was time to end the two-year war that has devastated the Gaza Strip. tens of thousands of Palestinianssparking other conflicts across the region, Israel is becoming increasingly isolated.
This push led to a first-phase agreement to release the remaining survivors. israeli hostage within days in exchange for the release of hundreds. imprisoned Palestinians by Israel.
But a long list of questions about what happens next was left unanswered.
The war started Hamas-led militants invade Israel On October 7, 2023, approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
israel wants ensure the disarmament of Hamas. Hamas says it wants to ensure that Israel completely withdraws its forces from the Gaza Strip and does not allow war to resume. At the same time, a postwar government for Gaza must be developed to replace Hamas rule. Without it, reconstruction will be impossible and more than 2 million people in Gaza will continue to live in dire conditions.
There is no trust between the two sides, and many rely on continued pressure from the US, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye. If there is any delay in resolving these intertwined issues, everything could unravel and Israel could resume its campaign to annihilate Hamas.
Here’s what we know about this deal.
the first step begins
The ceasefire took effect at noon on Friday. The Israeli military announced on the first day that it had withdrawn its troops to the lines agreed on the first day in Gaza City and from areas such as large parts of Gaza City and the southern city of Khan Yunis. Troops remain in large parts of the southern city of Rafah, towns in Gaza’s far north, and large areas along Gaza’s border with Israel.
The military said Palestinians evacuated to the south could return to their homelands in the north. Thousands of people filled the roads heading north.
Israel has received the green light from the United Nations to begin expanding aid to Gaza starting Sunday, a UN official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that have not yet been made public.
By Monday Hamas plans to begin disengagement The remaining 48 hostages were About 20 of them are believed to be alive. Israel plans to release about 2,000 Palestinians, including hundreds serving time in prison and those seized from Gaza during the war.
Negotiations for the next stage will then begin.
withdrawal of troops
Hamas has long maintained that it would not release the last hostage unless: Israeli forces completely withdraw from Gaza. Hamas said it was relying on President Trump’s assurances that a complete withdrawal would occur after first agreeing to release them.
We don’t know how long it will take, whether it’s weeks, months, or years.
Ann Original 20 point plan A document released by President Trump last week calls for Israel to maintain a narrow buffer zone within the Gaza Strip along the shared border, and Israel also talks about maintaining the Gaza Strip. philadelphia corridora strip of land on the border between Gaza and Egypt.
Israel is unlikely to relinquish these areas unless Hamas is disarmed and the vacuum left in Gaza operations is filled by an organization that Israel deems satisfactory.
President Trump’s plan also calls for Arab-led international security forces to be in Gaza, along with Egyptian and Jordanian-trained Palestinian police. He said Israeli forces would leave the area following the deployment.
It is unclear whether that system will be followed or whether alternatives will be negotiated.
disarmament
Hamas has long refused to lay down its weapons, insisting it has the right to armed resistance until Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory ends.
Disarmament is an important demand for Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said the campaign will not end until Hamas’s military is dismantled. network of tunnels Built around the territory.
But Arab officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Hamas may agree to “dismantle” the offensive weapons and hand them over to the Palestinian-Egyptian Joint Committee.
future government
Israel has said it wants to rid Gaza of Hamas influence. But it also rejects any role for the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority or any deal that could lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, has agreed to step back from governing the Gaza Strip and hand it over to a group of Palestinian technocrats.
It is unclear what will replace it.
Under President Trump’s plan, an international organization would govern. Peace Council and Peace Committee have both been floated as names for the group.
He will hold the greatest amount of power, overseeing the administration of Palestinian technocrats who run day-to-day operations. He will also take on a commanding role in directing the reconstruction of Gaza. President Trump’s original 20-point plan: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair To guide the body.
Hamas has so far disagreed, insisting that the Gaza government should be resolved among Palestinians.
stake
Israelis celebrated the agreement, which was announced overnight after three days of talks in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. For many Israelis, the priority is to free the last hostage held for two years.
But Palestinians in Gaza were more worried. There was also a sense of relief that the relentless artillery bombardment and ground attacks had temporarily ceased, and that aid might flow in. But there was also skepticism and anxiety over how long the cessation of fighting would last, whether hundreds of thousands of people would be able to return to their homes, and whether Gaza’s largely ruined cities would be rebuilt.
Many Palestinians fear that Israel will use the breakdown in negotiations as an opportunity to resume attacks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his hardline allies have insisted for months on maintaining long-term direct security control over Gaza and have talked about expelling Palestinians ostensibly on a “voluntary” basis. In Gaza, many believe that remains Israel’s objective.
If pressure from the United States and its allies continues even after the hostage evacuation, it may prevent Israel from resuming a full-scale war.
But there are other, more opaque scenarios as well.
If Hamas and Israel are unable to reach a final agreement or negotiations drag on without a conclusion, it could lead to an unstable situation in which Israeli forces would still hold parts of the Gaza Strip and Hamas would continue to operate. In that case, Israel is unlikely to allow large-scale reconstruction, and Gaza’s residents will likely languish in tent camps and shelters.
