The agreement reached on Wednesday between Israel and Hamas marks a significant initial move in efforts to release hostages held in Gaza and to bring about an Israeli military pullback.

This development pauses the hostilities in Gaza for the first time since the conflict reignited in November 2023.

Final approval of the agreement still hinges on a vote by Israel’s cabinet and legislature, which is expected to take place on Thursday.

Details of the proposed plan, which is structured in three stages, have been shared in a draft circulating among media outlets.

Phase 1:

The first stage involves a cease-fire lasting 42 days during which 33 Israeli hostages will be gradually released in exchange for the freedom of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

Currently, 97 hostages are believed to be in Hamas’ custody, though only 60 are thought to be alive.

On the first day of the truce, set to begin Sunday, Hamas will release three hostages, followed by an additional four on the seventh day.

Subsequent weeks will see the continued release of hostages throughout the initial six-week period.

Israel has committed to freeing 30 Palestinian women, children, and elderly detainees for every civilian hostage released from Gaza.

For each female Israeli soldier released, Israel will exchange 50 Palestinian prisoners, including 30 individuals serving life sentences.

Additionally, the return of Israeli bodies will prompt the release of all Palestinian women and children detained by Israel from Gaza since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023.

During this phase, Israeli forces will withdraw to a buffer zone within Gaza and near the Israeli border, enabling displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in Gaza City and northern Gaza.

Humanitarian aid will also significantly increase, with approximately 600 trucks entering Gaza daily, including 50 carrying fuel.

Negotiations for the second stage of the agreement are set to begin on the 16th day of the first phase.

Phase 2:

If both sides reach an additional agreement, the second stage aims to secure the release of all remaining hostages. In return, Israel would undertake a full withdrawal from Gaza.

However, this step is fraught with challenges. Israel has maintained that it will not fully retreat until Hamas’ military and political influence is dismantled.

Hamas, for its part, has asserted that it will not release the last hostages until all Israeli forces leave.

Hamas has suggested it might relinquish power, potentially participating in a future government—a scenario Israel finds unacceptable.

The draft outlines that a deal for the second phase must be finalized by the end of the first phase. Hamas, however, has requested written guarantees that the temporary cease-fire will hold until an agreement is reached.

The group has indicated it will adhere to verbal assurances from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, though Israel has not consented to this, leaving the door open for the resumption of airstrikes.

Phase 3:

The third and final stage would involve Hamas exchanging the bodies of the remaining hostages in Gaza for a three-to-five-year reconstruction initiative for Gaza under international oversight.

{Matzav.com Israel}