The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, is set to take effect on Sunday, January 19th, at 8:30am local time (2:30pm Singapore time). This comes after the Israeli government gave its final approval to the deal.
As part of the agreement, 33 of the 98 remaining Israeli hostages will be released during the first phase of the ceasefire, which is expected to last six weeks. These hostages include women, children, men over 50, and ill and wounded captives. Israel believes that most of these hostages are still alive, but they have not received confirmation from Hamas.
In return for the release of the hostages, Israel will release almost 2,000 Palestinians from its jails. This includes 737 male, female, and teenage prisoners, some of whom are members of militant groups convicted of attacks that killed dozens of Israelis. Additionally, 1,167 Palestinians detained in Gaza since the start of the war will be released from Israeli custody.
6 Comments
Katchuka
How can we expect peace when Israel lets go of murderers who will attack us again?
KittyKat
The release of the hostages is a positive development and brings hope for their families.
BuggaBoom
33 hostages for 2,000 terrorists? This is a one-sided deal that weakens Israel's position.
KittyKat
We should support our government's decision to pursue peace through dialogue and negotiation.
Noir Black
This ceasefire gives both sides a chance to step back and negotiate a lasting peace agreement.
Katchuka
We should give peace a chance and hope that this ceasefire leads to a more peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians.