A ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas has come into effect in Gaza, allowing more than 2 million Palestinians in the enclave some respite after 15 months of devastating war.
The first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement will see the release of some of the Israeli captives held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a gradual Israeli withdrawal towards Gaza’s borders with Israel and significantly increased access to humanitarian aid.
It is hoped that the first phase will pave the way for the second and third phases, which will lead to the release of all captives and a permanent ceasefire.
The road to this latest agreement has been long and fraught with false starts. Here is an overview of the journey leading to this agreement since the start of the war on October 7, 2023.
The first truce
After more than six weeks of fighting that destroyed large areas of Gaza and killed thousands, Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day truce on November 21, 2023.
In the weeks after Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, the Israeli military relentlessly bombarded Gaza with air and ground attacks, killing more than 14,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
Additionally, an estimated 1.7 million Palestinians have been displaced and forced by the Israeli army to flee to the southern areas of the Gaza Strip.
After weeks of turbulent negotiations led by Qatar and multiple instances where a deal appeared on the horizon before collapsing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a meeting of his cabinet, which then voted to approve a truce agreement.
Around 250 prisoners were captured by Hamas and other Palestinian groups following the October 7 attack. As part of the November deal, 110 were released.
Israel has released more than 240 Palestinian prisoners, all women and children.
THE the truce was extended to seven daysbut Netanyahu made clear that Israel was not ending its war on Gaza and that the cessation of fighting was only temporary. Israel resumed its war against Gaza on December 1, 2023.
International pressure
As Israel’s war on Gaza intensified, protests erupted around the world.
Notably, university students in the United States held Protests and sit-ins on campus which attracted worldwide attention.
As the war continued, a few European nations officially recognized the State of Palestine, comprising Ireland, Spain and Norway.
South Africa also filed a case of genocide against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which was subsequently supported by at least 14 countries, including Belgium, Colombia, Turkey, Egypt, Chile and Spain.
Negotiations continue
In May 2024, as the war on Gaza entered its eighth month, hopes of reaching a ceasefire grew as talks progressed.
In Cairo, Egyptian and Qatari officials worked with the Americans to reach a deal – then Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said on May 6 that his group had agreed to a proposal. Palestinians began celebrating in the streets of Gaza.
This agreement, which would take place in three stages, provided that Hamas would release 33 Israeli captives in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons for 42 days. In the second phase, the Israeli army would completely withdraw from Gaza.
Israel, however, said it had not accepted the terms of the ceasefire. Shortly after, Israel launched an invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza.
Then in late May, US President Joe Biden said Israel had accepted a “sustainable ceasefire proposal”. But Netanyahu then rejected this plan and continued the war.
Lebanon War
Israel and Hezbollah began attacking each other on October 8, 2023, as the Lebanese group said it was firing on Israel in solidarity with Gaza. On September 23, 2024, Israel intensified its attacks against Lebanon, killing more than 550 people in a single day. The attack took place just days after the famous pager and walkie-talkie attacksand days before the assassination of longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
A few days later, on October 1, 2024, Israel invaded southern Lebanon.
Analyst Hamzé Attar told Al Jazeera he believed Israel’s goals in Gaza had been achieved by early 2024, but the war had been extended to carry out attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
A ceasefire was announced on November 27, which would see Hezbollah withdraw its military infrastructure north of the Litani River and the Lebanese armed forces deploy to southern Lebanon. The ceasefire agreement also stipulates that Israeli troops must withdraw from southern Lebanon before the end of the 60-day ceasefire period.
Israeli troops are still present in border towns and destroying homes and villages before withdrawing.
ICJ mandates
In November 2024, the ICJ issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for committing alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Many states have said they will respect the court’s ruling, although the United States has rejected the ruling and some officials have threatened the court.
Trump enters the fray
On December 2, United States President-elect Donald Trump said on social media that there would be “hell to pay” if Gaza captives were not released before he came to power. He reiterated his demands later in December and again in early January.
Regional negotiations, including on ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, have reportedly been coordinated between the Biden administration and some of the states. incoming officials of the new Trump administration.
An agreement is reached
On January 15, negotiators would have made an agreement after 15 months of war during which at least tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed. Some estimates put the death toll at more than 100,000.
An Israeli cabinet meeting approved the deal on Saturday, despite opposition from far-right ministers.
The ceasefire was scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. local time (06:30 GMT) on Sunday, January 19. Shortly before this time, Netanyahu issued a statement saying he would not begin until Hamas provided the names of the first three Israeli prisoners to be captured. released. Hamas attributed the delay in releasing the names to “technical reasons.”
After Hamas released the names, the ceasefire took effect at 11:15 a.m. local time (09:15 GMT).
Like the agreement proposed in May, this ceasefire should take place in three phases. The first stage will last 42 days, as Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza.
The Israeli military is also expected to withdraw from populated areas of Gaza, allowing Palestinians to return to the enclave’s neighborhoods as an increase in humanitarian aid is authorized. The United Nations and other agencies and organizations have accused the Israelis of blocking aid to Gaza for most of the last year.
Throughout the various negotiations, American officials have often blamed Hamas for not having accepted the terms of a ceasefire agreement. However, before the agreement, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir claimed that he had repeatedly blocked ceasefire agreements over the past 15 months.
