Gaza War: Ceasefire begins in the Gaza War: First hostages released

Gaza War: Ceasefire begins in the Gaza War: First hostages released

Gaza war
Ceasefire in the Gaza war begins: first hostages released






A ceasefire came into force on the 471st day of the Gaza war. The first three Israeli hostages were exchanged for Palestinians. But peace is still far from being in sight.

After more than 15 months of war with tens of thousands of deaths, a ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist Hamas has come into force. Three hostages in the Gaza Strip were released by Hamas and returned to Israel. The women were the first of the 33 abductees to be released as part of the initial six-week ceasefire. In return, Israel initiated the release of 90 Palestinian women and minors from detention.

In total, 1,904 Palestinian prisoners are to be released in exchange for the hostages in the first of three phases of an agreement brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the USA. Whether a permanent end to the fighting can be achieved depends on negotiations on particularly contentious points, which are scheduled to begin in just over two weeks.

The three women were in the hands of Hamas for more than 15 months

The first hostages released are civilians Romi Gonen (24), Emily Damari (28) and Doron Steinbrecher (31). They were handed over by armed Hamas members to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and then to the Israeli army. In Israel they were embraced by their mothers. The women were then flown to a hospital near Tel Aviv.

Local media, citing the Red Cross, reported that the three women were in good condition, at least physically. This was also indicated by the first video excerpts published by the military.

Terrorists kidnapped the three young women during the massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023 and have held them in the Gaza Strip since then. Romi Gonen was kidnapped and injured from the Nova music festival near the Gaza border. The 24-year-old’s father told the news site ynet before the release that the family had waited more than 11,000 hours for this moment.

The other two women were taken hostage from their homes on Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Doron Steinbrecher also has Romanian citizenship. Emily Damari has both Israeli and British citizenship. “Today’s release of three hostages is wonderful and long overdue news after months of torment for them and their families,” said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Biden welcomed the start of the hostage releases

Outgoing US President Joe Biden praised the release of the hostages and the ceasefire as an important step. However, maintaining the ceasefire will require “perseverance, continued support for our friends in the region and a belief in diplomacy backed by deterrence,” he added. Biden’s successor Donald Trump’s demand that the release of hostages must begin before his inauguration on Monday because otherwise “all hell would break loose” may also have contributed to the agreement.

Delivering aid to Gaza residents in need

According to local security forces, with the ceasefire coming into force in the Gaza Strip, increased aid deliveries to the suffering population began there. According to Arab media reports, almost 200 trucks were on their way to the Palestinian territory. Television images showed empty trucks returning to Egypt after unloading their cargo in the transit area.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza was already bad before the war began in October 2023 and has worsened dramatically as a result of Israel’s massive bombings. According to the UN, more than 90 percent of the two million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip suffer from severe hunger. There is also a lack of drinking water, emergency accommodation and medicines.

As part of the ceasefire, the Israeli army must also withdraw from the population centers of the Gaza Strip.

More deaths in Gaza due to delayed start

The start of the ceasefire was initially delayed because Hamas did not send the names of the three hostages to be released to Israel in time. The Israeli Air Force then continued its attacks in the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning. According to the Hamas-controlled civil defense, several people were killed.

Hamas and Israel want to negotiate further steps in the next few weeks. The aim is the complete withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza and the release of the last hostages. The hostages also include Israelis who also have German citizenship. If no agreement is reached, the fighting could continue, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened on the eve of the ceasefire.

The Gaza war broke out after Hamas and other terrorist groups attacked Israel in October 2023 with around 1,200 deaths. Large parts of the Gaza Strip inhabited by the Palestinians lie in rubble and ash. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 46,900 people were killed. She does not say how many of them are civilians and how many are fighters.

Israel should release Hamas fighters and murderers

According to government information, the Palestinians to be released are 1,167 residents of the Gaza Strip who were not involved in the massacre on October 7, 2023 in Israel. The other 737 are prisoners who were convicted of minor offenses such as throwing stones in the West Bank or crossing the border illegally, as well as illegal possession of weapons or other violations of the law.

This also includes prisoners who are serving time for serious crimes such as murder. The Israeli Ministry of Justice published a list of 22 prisoners accused of serious attacks on Israelis.

The most difficult questions are still unresolved

The coming negotiations will focus on the biggest points of contention that have so far been ignored. Hamas is demanding the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the coastal strip and a guarantee that the fighting will permanently end. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on the eve of the ceasefire that Israel would achieve all of its war goals, including the destruction of Hamas. Another stumbling block could be the question of which Palestinian prisoners Israel should release during a second phase in exchange for the remaining hostages. A total of 34 of the 94 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip are believed to be dead.

Body of Israeli who died in Gaza in 2014 recovered

Shortly before the ceasefire, the Israeli army was able to recover the body of a soldier who died in the Gaza War in July 2014 and bring it back to Israel. The soldier was previously listed as one of the hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip.

Who should be in charge in the Gaza Strip in the future?

It is also completely unclear who will govern the Gaza Strip after the fighting ends. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s moderate West Bank Authority wants to regain sole control of the coastal strip. However, Netanyahu rejects this.

dpa

Source: Stern

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