Khalil al-Hayya, head of the Hamas negotiating delegation, said on Thursday evening that the movement had received official guarantees from mediators and the US administration confirming the complete and irreversible end of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, in what he described as a:
historic turning point after two years of genocide.
In a televised address from Doha, al-Hayya added that the new agreement, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey and under the direct supervision of the USA stipulates a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, and the start of a large-scale prisoner exchange.
Plan for first phase of ceasefire agreement
Under the first phase of the agreement, 250 prisoners serving life sentences will be released. Additionally, 1,700 Palestinians arrested since the outbreak of the war in October 2023 will also be released. In exchange, the resistance will release a number of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza, approximately 48 in number, including 20 who are still alive, according to Israeli estimates.
Al-Hayya noted that Hamas dealt with the Trump plan “with great responsibility,” adding that the movement presented:
a vision that guarantees the preservation of Palestinian bloodshed and the preservation of their rights.
He emphasised that the negotiating delegation headed to Cairo were “armed with positivity and national responsibility.” Al-Hayya further explained that the agreement also includes the opening of the Rafah crossing in both directions, the return of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, and the commencement of reconstruction under international supervision. Meanwhile, consultations are underway to finalise subsequent provisions related to the complete lifting of the blockade.
‘A war unlike any the world has seen’
In his speech, Al-Hayya continued:
Our people have fought a war unlike any the world has seen. The resistance fighters on the ground held firm, and our representatives at the negotiating table were loyal to the blood of the martyrs, placing the interests of our people above all else.
Al-Hayya accused Israel of procrastination and violating previous agreements, saying that Netanyahu “reneged on ceasefire agreements more than once,” but he emphasized that Hamas:
continued indirect negotiations to secure a final cessation of aggression and an end to the genocide.
On Friday, hundreds of thousands of Gaza residents returned to the northern areas from which the occupation forced them to flee south. Their return, however, was painful after they witnessed the devastating destruction left behind by the occupation following its partial withdrawal from Gaza City.
This development comes more than two years after a war that left more than 67,000 dead and 170,000 wounded in the Gaza Strip, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian government statistics. International reports indicate that 90% of the civilian infrastructure in the Strip has been completely destroyed, and that famine and epidemics threaten the lives of millions of residents.
Featured image via the Canary
By Alaa Shamali
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