THE world cautiously awaits the breakthrough ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to come into effect – ending the devastation in war-torn Gaza.
The peace process began last night after Donald Trump announced a historic peace agreement had been reached between Tel Aviv and the terror group.
SplashUnited States President Donald J. Trump convened a roundtable on Antifa in the State Dining Room of the White House[/caption]
And it has kicked off the first phase of his comprehensive 20-point peace plan.
The deal marks a historic turning point in the two-year Gaza war that has killed tens of thousands and devastated the enclave.
Palestinians and the families of Israeli hostages broke into wild celebrations after Trump announced the peace deal.
Relatives of those still held in Gaza also hailed the announcement as a “historic breakthrough”.
In the next few days, both Israel and Hamas will take major steps that will cement the peace deal in place.
The Israeli security cabinet will convene today at 5pm Jerusalem Time (3pm BST) to discuss the Gaza agreement, before passing it on to the full cabinet for voting.
If the plan is approved formally – which it is widely expected to be – the ceasefire will go into effect within 24 hours, and Israeli troops will withdraw
The IDF will then withdraw its soldiers from the current frontlines to the agreed-upon lines.
Once that is complete, the 72-hour clock begins for Hamas to release the hostages it holds in Gaza, as per the comprehensive peace plan.
Hamas is then expected to release the hostages starting on Monday.
However, some officials think the terror group may start the process over the weekend.
Currently, 48 hostages remain in Hamas’ captivity, 20 of whom are believed to be still alive.
Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian revealed in a news briefing that a final draft of phase one of the deal was signed by all parties this morning.
Bedrosian said that a ceasefire will come into effect in Gaza within 24 hours after this evening’s Israeli cabinet meeting.
Previously, the ceasefire was expected to start immediately after the Israeli cabinet’s approval.
The devastating war between Israel and Hamas
By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter
While the conflict between Israel and Palestine dates back decades, the current fighting erupted two years ago when Hamas fanatics attacked Israel in a massive terror attack.
On October 7, 2023, Islamists terrorists stormed the border between Gaza and Israel, slaughtering over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping 250 civilians.
Since then, Israel has almost completely destroyed the strip in an effort to eradicate the group and bring home its trapped people.
Tel Aviv’s retaliatory assault and siege on Gaza created a devastating humanitarian crisis, perpetuating a brutal cycle of attack and counter-attack.
Amid international cries for peace, Israeli PM Netanyahu vowed not to stop until Hamas is destroyed.
His goal to deradicalise Gaza – and the terror group’s existential struggle – created a political and military stalemate in the narrow strip.
The sheer scale of destruction and hardening of positions made it difficult for diplomats to adopt a political solution.
However, with Donald Trump’s proposed 20-point peace plan for Gaza, an end to the bloody war looks near.
Fleets of trucks carrying food and medical aid would be allowed to surge into Gaza to relieve civilians, hundreds of thousands of whom have been sheltering in tents after Israeli forces destroyed their homes and razed entire cities to dust.
Meanwhile, Israel will release almost 2,000 Palestinians who were taken as prisoners.
Hamas demanded the release of the bodies of their terror masterminds, Yahya and Mohammad Sinwar, as part of the Gaza peace deal.
However, a senior Israeli official told CNN their bodies will not be handed over to the terror group.
Yahya was the mastermind behind the horrific October 7 attack, and continued to lead Hamas inside Gaza during the conflict.
He was taken out by a squad of trainee commandos on October 16, 2024 – just over a year into the fighting – and the assassination was caught on camera.
Mohammed, his brother, then assumed the role of Hamas’s leader in the Gaza Strip until he too was assassinated in May this year.
APRelatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip celebrate after the announcement[/caption]
ReutersPeople in Israel celebrate after Trump announced the historic deal[/caption]
ReutersPalestinians celebrate on a street following the news that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of the peace deal[/caption]
Thorns in the deal
But there is so much that could still go wrong
Uncertainty remains about some of the thornier aspects of the plan advanced by Donald Trump.
Israel and Hamas are yet to sign off on the final peace deal in full, which still requires Hamas to agree to complete disarmament.
The deal also seeks a complete demilitarisation and deradicalisation of Gaza- and demands that Gaza be ruled by a transitional authority headed by Donald Trump.
These points have yet to be addressed in any discussions – and will likely cause friction in hammering out a final peace deal.
Hamas long refused to give up its weapons, saying it had a right to armed resistance until Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories ends.
For Israel, it’s a key demand.
Netanyahu has repeatedly said his campaign will not end until Hamas’ military capabilities are dismantled, including the network of tunnels built around the territory.
However, top diplomats involved in the mediation process say they are confident that a breakthrough is within reach.
Trump’s 20-point peace plan
1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone
2. Gaza will be redeveloped
3. The war will immediately end
4. Within 72 hours, all hostages will be returned
5. Israel will release 250 dangerous prisoners plus 1700 Gazans detained after Oct 7th
6. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage
7. Full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip
8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference
9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee
10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created
11. A special economic zone will be established
12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza
13. Hamas agrees to not have any role in the governance of Gaza
14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas comply with obligations
15. The US will work to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza
16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza
17. If Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, Israel can proceed with invasion
18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established
19. Credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood can begin
20. The US will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians for peaceful and prosperous co-existence
According to diplomats, the signing follows days of marathon negotiations in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, where US, Israeli, Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators hammered out the final details.
The 20-point Trump plan, long dismissed as wishful thinking, now appears to be edging toward reality.
It calls for a Gaza ceasefire, the release of all hostages, Israeli troop withdrawal and Hamas disarmament and exclusion from future governance.
It also sees the creation of a Trump-led international body to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and transition to a new Palestinian administration.
A billboard displays an image of US President Donald Trump with a message thanking him for reaching a ceasefire deal in Gaza, on the side of a building in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
