After 15 months of debilitating conflict that turned the Gaza Strip into an unholy mess, Israel and Hamas have finally signed on the dotted line of a ceasefire. Brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, this three-month peace process presents the long-suffering people of Gaza with hope.The deal sealed on January 15, 2025, after Hamas gave its approval, is expected to be implemented in phases and will have humanitarian aid, the release of hostages, and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces at the core. However, final approval by Israel’s Cabinet has faced delays, a situation blamed on internal divisions within Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition government. Netanyahu himself has pointed his finger at Hamas for the delay, as a “last-minute crisis.”
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The Three-Phase Agreement
The deal is carefully crafted in three phases over the coming months. It begins on Sunday, January 19, 2025, with the release of Israeli captives and a stop to the fighting. Under the agreement, 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, and the elderly, will be freed in exchange for the release of about 100 Palestinian prisoners. The second element is that Israel will permit up to 600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza every day, which is pressing amid acute food, fuel, and medicine shortages.
Secondly, phase one will also witness the initial steps of an Israeli military drawdown from parts of Gaza to pave the way for the displaced Palestinians to return home. Because more than 90% of Gaza’s population lives elsewhere due to the fighting, many are returning to their communities; tensions still run high, however, amid fears of potential Israeli airstrikes.
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Phase Two: Negotiations for Lasting Peace
Under this new agreement, by January 25, 2025, day seven of the ceasefire, internally displaced Palestinians will be allowed to return to northern Gaza, which has been under siege since October 2023. The second phase, starting around February 3, includes further negotiations for the remaining hostages, full withdrawal of Israeli forces, and a more workable ceasefire. By March 1, the first phase should be completed and the second phase should begin. This will involve the release of the remaining hostages, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza, and the beginning of long-term peace negotiations.
The Final Stage: Reconstruction of Gaza
Third and lastly, by April 12, 2025, the reconstruction of Gaza will begin. Over 60 percent of the infrastructure in the area has been destroyed or badly damaged because of the war. It is expected this will take many years and is foreseen to happen under international supervision, the details of which are expected to be fleshed out in the coming weeks.
Yet, with the possibility of recovery, there is also uncertainty. For one, the big question of who will run Gaza once the ceasefire is truly in place remains open, with the U.S. advocating for a reformed Palestinian Authority to be in charge of the region. Tensions are high as negotiators work out the fine points of the agreement.
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Humanitarian Relief Amid the Ceasefire
The deal has left the people of Gaza with mixed feelings as it takes effect. While some jubilate, thinking that this may bring an end to the violence, others are still apprehensive with the sustained airstrikes and a possible fall of the ceasefire. More than 46,700 Palestinians have died since the conflict escalated in October 2023, and many fear the ceasefire may be fragile.
Food aid agencies continue to demand unrestricted access to Gaza to help prevent further suffering amid unprecedented famine. The news brings cautious hope among the civilians in Gaza, though the wounds are barely old following months of bombardment.
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International Reactions and the Way Forward
The international community has broadly welcomed the truce, with US President Joe Biden hailing the agreement as an important step toward peace. “This agreement will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families,” Biden said in a statement.
Yet, the road to implementation is filled with pitfalls: The coalition government of Netanyahu has faced opposition even from far-right allies skeptical of the deal, while some in Israel have expressed skepticism over Hamas’ commitment to a lasting peace. For Palestinians, the return of bodies of the dead captives and eventual reconstruction of Gaza remain paramount, but what will become of the future governance of Gaza will have to be resolved in the next few months.
A Glimmer of Hope Amidst Despair
While the ceasefire agreement represents a crucial step toward ending the bloodshed in Gaza, it is clear that the road to peace is long and uncertain. As families celebrate the release of hostages and the return of displaced people, the scars of war will take years to heal.
For the time being, it is a matter of ensuring that the cease-fire holds and that the two sides live up to their commitments. The international mediators behind the deal – Qatar, Egypt, and the United States – promise close monitoring, but in actuality, the test will lie in days and weeks.
To the people in Gaza, the truce means that they can again begin to work on rebuilding lives and communities. But as the world stands and watches, one question still exists: Will the ceasefire hold this time, or will the bloody circle continue? Only time can tell.
Reported by Elkanah Sammuel from Kogi, Nigeria Edited by Chibueze Onwuka