Germany Weapons to be laid down in Gaza - Will the deal hold?
The agreement announced by the mediating states between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip raises hopes for an end to the war that has been going on for 15 months.
16.01.2025, 05:48
SDA
Israeli President Izchak Herzog called on his country's security cabinet and government to approve the agreement with Hamas. The Prime Minister's Office announced in the evening that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would only make a statement once the final details had been finalized. The cabinet is expected to vote on the agreement today.
"We are at an extremely crucial moment," Herzog said, according to his office. According to the Israeli news website "Ynet", the details still to be clarified, according to Netanyahu's office, are "technical details" such as the composition of the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel in exchange for the Hamas hostages in the Gaza Strip. However, according to the Israeli media, approval by the security cabinet and the government is to be expected. The cabinet is due to meet today at 10.00 a.m. CET, followed immediately by the government.
Ceasefire to come into force on Sunday
Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced yesterday that the ceasefire would come into force on Sunday at 11.15 a.m. CET and would initially apply for 42 days. According to Israeli media, the first hostages are to return to Israel on the same day. During the ceasefire, 33 of the 98 abductees are to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners - although it is uncertain how many hostages are still alive. Hospitals in Israel have been preparing to receive deeply traumatized and, in some cases, sick and injured people.
While people in the sealed-off Gaza Strip erupted in jubilation, relatives of the Israeli hostages received the announcement of an agreement with mixed feelings. "For me, it's not over until it's over," said Jimmy Miller, cousin of the German-Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas, in the center of Tel Aviv. The square was unusually empty that evening, no one seemed to be in a celebratory mood.
Netanyahu thanks Biden and Trump
According to the White House, outgoing US President Joe Biden congratulated Netanyahu on the ceasefire deal, which is divided into three phases. Both politicians had spoken about the unimaginable conditions that the hostages - including Americans - had to endure in captivity and about the terrible suffering of their families. Biden always stood by Israel, but also increasingly criticized the conduct of the war. His designated successor Donald Trump, on the other hand, is known as a close ally of Netanyahu.
He thanked Trump for his support in advancing the agreement, Netanyahu's office announced. The Republican had helped Israel "end the suffering of dozens of hostages and their families". Netanyahu also praised Trump's statements that the USA wanted to work with Israel to ensure that the Gaza Strip would never become a haven for terrorists. Both wanted to meet "soon" in Washington to discuss these and other issues.
UN emergency aid workers see hope for millions in Gaza
The agreed ceasefire between Israel and Hamas offers "much-needed hope for millions of people whose lives have been destroyed by this conflict", said UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher. The important Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza is to be reopened this morning. Corresponding instructions have been received, a security official confirmed to the German Press Agency. Around 600 trucks carrying aid supplies have been prepared for entry.
The already miserable humanitarian situation in the sealed-off coastal strip on the Mediterranean has worsened dramatically as a result of the months of bombing. According to the UN, more than 90 percent of the Palestinian population is now suffering from severe hunger. There is a lack of water, emergency shelters and medicines.
Several Arab states also welcomed the agreement on a ceasefire. "This announcement marks the end of a bloody page in the history of the Palestinian people, who have suffered greatly under Israeli aggression," said Lebanon's Acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Both sides must now abide by the agreements reached in order to put an end to the suffering of the hostages and the Palestinian prisoners, according to the Foreign Ministry of the United Arab States.
Macron: Agreement must be respected
French President Emmanuel Macron also called for the agreement to be respected. He is insisting on a political solution to the Middle East conflict. After 15 months of "unjustifiable martyrdom", there is relief for the people in Gaza and hope for the hostages and their families. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he hoped for lasting peace and stability. His government maintains close relations with Hamas.
The agreement must be "rigorously implemented", US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also demanded. With "leadership and wisdom, we can make progress towards the day when Israelis and Palestinians live side by side in peace and security in two sovereign states, in mutual security and dignity".
Deep mistrust feeds skepticism
In view of the deep mistrust between the two sides, however, it remains to be seen whether Israel and Hamas will adhere to the agreed steps for weeks to come. It is questionable whether it will be possible to agree on the release of the remaining hostages in the second phase of the deal. Netanyahu is already facing accusations that he has abandoned the hostages who remain in the Gaza Strip for the time being with the current deal. Observers warn that the fighting could start again after the ceasefire expires - especially as there are supporters of a continuation of the war on both sides.
The war was triggered by the unprecedented massacre by Hamas and other extremist groups, in which around 1,200 people were killed in Israel on October 7, 2023 and more than 250 were abducted in the Gaza Strip. Israel responded with attacks against Hamas in Gaza in which, according to Palestinian figures, more than 46,700 people were killed and more than 110,200 others injured. The figures, which cannot be independently verified but are considered credible by the United Nations, do not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
