Egypt, Qatar, and the US announced in a joint statement that Hamas and Israel have reached an agreement to exchange prisoners and detainees and establish a permanent ceasefire between both parties.
The agreement, which consists of three phases, is expected to come into effect on Sunday, January 19.
The first phase, which will last 42 days, includes a ceasefire, the withdrawal and redeployment of Israeli forces from densely populated areas, the exchange of prisoners and detainees, the exchange of the remains of the deceased, the return of internally displaced persons to their homes in the Gaza Strip, and facilitating the departure of the sick and wounded for medical treatment.
This phase will also comprise intensifying the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip, restoring hospitals, health centers, and bakeries, bringing in civil defense supplies and fuel, and providing shelter for displaced persons who lost their homes due to the war.
Egypt, Qatar, and the US have affirmed that their policy as guarantors of this agreement is to ensure that all three phases are fully implemented by the parties.
Accordingly, the mediators will work together to ensure that the parties fulfill their obligations under the agreement and that the three phases are fully implemented.
The statement said, “The guarantors will also work in coordination with the United Nations, donor countries, and partners from around the world to support a rapid and sustained increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza in accordance with the terms of the agreement.”
The three countries urged the international community to support these efforts in accordance with the mechanisms in place for implementing the agreement.
