After months of war and protests a ceasefire will be put in place on Sunday January 19 2025. Photo Credit: Shutterstock: Stephanie Kenner
Qatar have confirmed that Israel has agreed to a ceasefire which will come into effect the morning of Sunday January 19 at 8.30am.
Sunday morning will see the end of a 15-month war that has killed over 50,000 people. More than 120 people have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire was announced.
What is Israel’s ceasefire proposal?
Three stages have been agreed in the ceasefire process, the first a six-week phase of hostage transfers where Israeli hostages will be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.
Simultaneously Israeli forces will move East, leaving the most populated areas of the Gaza Strip free for resettlement by displaced Palestinians and allowing aid to reach them each day.
Qatari peacekeepers have ensured that the agreement takes into account immediate aid. Unicef has described living conditions as “utter deprivation” with diseases running rampant.
Remaining hostages will be released in the second phase of the Ceasefire process alongside a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops by the sixteenth day of the planned armistice.
Finally, the two sides will return any remaining hostage’s bodies in the final, third stage of the truce deal. Then reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will begin. It could take years. The last figures taken from May 2024 estimated damage done would cost as much as £32.8bn to rebuild and that nearly 70 percent of road infrastructure on the Gaza Strip had been completely destroyed. As people return to the Gaza Strip rebuilding costs and plans will become clearer.
Is there a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine?
On Saturday 18, a missile sent, purportedly by Houthi rebels in Yemen, was intercepted by Israeli military forces. There have been ongoing attacks between Houthi rebels in Yemen and Israel during the war, with Houthi rebels claiming solidarity with Palestine. Houthi rebels have not yet taken responsibility for the missile.
This morning, the Hamas led government announced that more than 120 people have been killed since the truce negotiations were announced on Wednesday. 33 children are amongst the dead in increased attacks on the run up to the ceasefire date.
Keep updated with Breaking News here.
