Demonstrators take part in a protest calling for action to secure the release of Israelis held hostage in Gaza since October 2023, in front of the Israeli defense ministry in Tel Aviv on January 15, 2025, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the militant Hamas group. Hamas has approved a Gaza truce and hostage release deal, Palestinian sources close to negotiations said on January 15, after mediator Qatar expressed hope an agreement to end the war could be reached very soon. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / Agence France-Presse)
DOHA — Key mediator Qatar said Wednesday that 33 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza would be released in the first stage of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the war in the Palestinian territory.
Israel earlier said it would release about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in the first stage of a Gaza truce agreement, Israeli and Palestinian sources reported Tuesday.
Article continues after this advertisementBelow are the key details of the expected initial phase of the deal according to Qatari, US, Israeli and Palestinian officials, and media reports.
FEATURED STORIES GLOBALNATION NBI arrests 5 Pinoys offering bribe to free 12 Chinese GLOBALNATION Husband held in killing of Filipina in Slovenia, says DFA GLOBALNATION Israel and Hamas agree to a ceasefire deal Prisoner-hostage swapQatar said Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza starting on Sunday and a hostage and prisoner exchange after 15 months of war.
Thirty-three Israeli hostages will be released in the first, 42-day phase of the agreement that could become a “permanent ceasefire,” said Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani.
Article continues after this advertisementThose first released would be “civilian women and female recruits, as well as children, elderly people… civilian ill people and wounded,” he said.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD: Israel and Hamas agree to a ceasefire deal
Article continues after this advertisementIsraeli government spokesman David Mencer said Tuesday Israel was “prepared to pay a heavy price – in the hundreds” in exchange for the 33 hostages.
An anonymous Israeli official said “several hundred terrorists” would be freed in exchange for the hostages, with the final number depending on how many of the 33 hostages are alive.
Article continues after this advertisementTwo sources close to Hamas told Agence France-Presse that Israel would release about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including those with “lengthy sentences.”
Sheikh Mohammed said the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for the Israeli hostages in the second and third phases would be “finalized” during the initial 42 days.
The 33 are among the 94 hostages held in Gaza since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which triggered the ongoing war. The total includes 34 captives the Israeli military has declared dead.
According to the Times of Israel, Israeli officials believe the 33 hostages are alive, though confirmation from Hamas is pending.
Israeli positions in GazaDuring the initial, 42-day ceasefire Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza and remain positioned on its border to “allow for the swap of prisoners, as well as the swap of remains and the return of the displaced people,” Qatar’s prime minister said.
Negotiations for a second phase would commence on the “16th day” after the first phase’s implementation, an Israeli official said.
casino slot gamesThis phase would cover the release of the remaining captives, including “male soldiers, men of military age, and the bodies of slain hostages,” the Times of Israel reported.
Israeli media reported that under the proposed deal, Israel would maintain a buffer zone within Gaza during the first phase.
Israeli forces were expected to remain up to “800 meters (yards) inside Gaza stretching from Rafah in the south to Beit Hanun in the north,” according to a source close to Hamas.
Demonstrators take part in a protest calling for action to secure the release of Israelis held hostage in Gaza since October 2023, in front of the Israeli defense ministry in Tel Aviv on January 15, 2025, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the militant Hamas group. Hamas has approved a Gaza truce and hostage release deal, Palestinian sources close to negotiations said on January 15, after mediator Qatar expressed hope an agreement to end the war could be reached very soon. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / Agence France-Presse)
Israeli forces would not fully withdraw from Gaza until “all hostages are returned,” the Israeli official said.
Haaretz newspaper reported that Israel would allow the movement of residents from southern Gaza to the north.
READ: Ceasefire to begin in Israel-Hezbollah war
The source close to Hamas said Israeli forces would withdraw from the Netzarim corridor westward toward Salaheddin Road to the east, enabling displaced people to return through an electronic checkpoint equipped with cameras.
“No Israeli forces will be present, and Palestinian militants will be barred from passing through the checkpoint during the return of displaced persons,” he said.
Ceasefire deal to end war?Joint mediators Qatar, the United States, and Egypt will monitor the ceasefire deal through a body based in Cairo, Sheikh Mohammed said, urging “calm” in Gaza before the agreement comes into force.
"This series is not just about the two teams playing; it's about reviving the spirit of hockey in Delhi. We hope this will inspire more young players from the region to take up the game," Harmanpreet stated in a press release issued by Hockey India.
Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey expressed his enthusiasm and stated: "This bilateral series against Germany will be a remarkable showcase of world-class hockey. Both India and Germany have a rich history in the sport, and this series will give fans an opportunity to witness an intense competition between two of the most formidable teams in the world.
There was “a clear mechanism to negotiate phase two and three,” Sheikh Mohammed added.
“We hope that this will be the last page of the war, and we hope that all parties will commit to implementing all the terms of this agreement,” Qatar’s prime minister said as he unveiled the deal.
Under the arrangements outlined by Qatar, the details of phases two and three will be “finalized” during the implementation of phase one.
US President Joe Biden said the as-yet not finalized second phase would bring a “permanent end to the war.”
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Biden said phase two would comprise an exchange for the release of remaining hostages who are still alive100royal, including the male soldiers. Then all remaining Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza, the US president said.
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