The long awaited ceasefire agreement and release of hostages between Hamas and Israel will come into force in less than 24 hours, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday.
Qatar’s Foreign Minister Majid al-Ansari posted on X that the ceasefire would begin at 1:30 a.m. EST on Sunday, 8:30 a.m. local time in Gaza. He advised people to exercise caution when the agreement comes into effect and wait for instructions from authorities.
The Israeli military confirmed the start time, saying it was preparing to implement “operational procedures on the ground in accordance with agreed agreements.”
Tsafrir Abayov / AP
“The Israeli military is preparing to receive the hostages after their release from Hamas captivity and is operating to provide appropriate physical and psychological support, paying close attention to every detail,” it said in a statement on Saturday. . “Along with the agreement and our commitment to repatriate all hostages, the IDF will continue to operate to ensure the safety of all Israeli citizens, particularly those in communities close to the Gaza Strip. »
Early Saturday morning local time, Israeli cabinet approves ceasefire deal in Gaza, it would see the release of dozens of hostages and end the 15-month war with Hamas. This agreement brings both parties closer to the end of their conflict. the deadliest and most destructive fights of all time.
“We hope, in the name of God, that today is the last day of war,” one displaced man from southern Gaza told CBS News.
How the ceasefire and hostage agreement works
According to a translated draft of the agreement seen by CBS News and as described by President Biden, the agreement consists of three phases, each lasting 42 days.
Hamas would begin releasing hostages on day one, initially returning three to Israel, according to the plan seen by CBS News. On the seventh day, Hamas would release four hostages. Thereafter, Hamas would release three hostages taken in Israel every seven days, starting with the living, then returning the bodies of those who died.
It would release a total of 33 female and child hostages in the first phase, as well as hostages over the age of 50, according to the draft seen by CBS News.
Maya Alleruzzo / AP
Mr. Biden said on Wednesday that Americans would be among the hostages released in this phase, but he did not specify names or how soon they would be freed.
The rest of the hostages, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase which will be negotiated during the first. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining prisoners without a lasting ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from Israel.
Eli David, the brother of Eyvatar David, held hostage by Hamas since the October 7, 2023 attack, told CBS News’ Remy Inocencio that he has mixed feelings as the ceasefire approaches . Eyvatar is expected to release in the second phase.
“If they have a heart, if they can empathize, if they know my brother, just send him a message,” Eli David said as a message to Hamas. “Tell him that we are fighting for him, that we love him, and that we are so hopeful that we know he is coming home.”
The plan calls for the release of some 1,900 Palestinian prisoners in the first phase in exchange for 33 living and dead Israeli hostages. Of the prisoners, 1,167 are Gaza residents who were detained by Israel but were not involved in the attack on October 7, 2023. All women and children under the age of 19 from Gaza detained by Israel will be released upon during this phase.
According to the ceasefire plan, approved by the Cabinet and signed by Israel’s national security adviser, the exchange will begin at 9 a.m. EST on Sunday. In each exchange, the prisoners will be released by Israel once the hostages arrive safely.
Missile strikes continue as aid arrives
Despite the ceasefire announcement, sirens sounded in central Israel on Saturday, with the army claiming to have intercepted projectiles launched from Yemen.
The Iran-backed Houthis have stepped up their missile attacks in recent weeks. The group says the attacks are part of their campaign to pressure Israel and the West over the war in Gaza.
Israeli strikes also continued on Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry said at least 23 people had been killed the day before.
Additionally, during the first phase, Israeli troops are to withdraw to a buffer zone approximately one kilometer wide inside Gaza, along its borders with Israel.
Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu via Getty Images
This will allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes, particularly in Gaza City and northern Gaza. With most of Gaza’s population huddled in huge, squalid tent camps, Palestinians are desperate to return to their homes, even though many have been destroyed or badly damaged by the Israeli campaign.
The largely devastated territory is also expected to experience an upsurge in humanitarian aid. Trucks carrying aid lined up Friday on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing into Gaza.
On Saturday, two Egyptian government ministers arrived in the northern Sinai Peninsula to oversee preparations for the delivery of aid and to receive the evacuation of injured patients, the Health Ministry said.
Hamas started the war with its October 7, 2023cross-border attack in Israel that killed some 1,200 people and left some 250 others captive. Nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza.
Israel responded with a devastating offensive that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children account for more than half of the deaths.