PNN – Wednesday night’s agreement between the Israeli regime and Hamas for a cease-fire and prisoner exchange includes three steps aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, quoted by the Palestinian news agency “Maa”, this agreement, which was mediated by Qatar, the United States and Egypt and will be implemented from Sunday, January 19, is mostly based on the individual mechanism of the first stage, which lasts for 42 days, during which 33 Zionist prisoners (both alive and dead) are freed.
The goal under the title “General principles of the agreement between the Israeli and Palestinian parties in Gaza on the exchange of prisoners and the establishment of a lasting ceasefire” was defined as follows:
All Israeli prisoners, living and dead, held by the resistance are released, and in return the Israeli regime agrees to release an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners.
The exchange will begin on Armistice Day, the day specified in the Agreement as “Day One”.
The Israeli regime and Hamas also agreed on a ceasefire that leads to four goals, “permanent ceasefire”, “withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip”, “Gaza reconstruction”, “reopening of crossings and facilitating the movement of people and the transportation of goods.”
The provisions of the agreement according to three stages are as follows:
The first stage (42 days):
The temporary suspension of military operations on both sides and the withdrawal of the Israeli army to the east from “populous areas along the border in all areas of the Gaza Strip, including the Gaza Strip (Nazarim axis).
Temporary suspension of air traffic (military and surveillance) in the Gaza Strip for 10 hours a day and 12 hours on the days in which the exchange of prisoners takes place.
The return of the refugees to their places of residence and the exit from the Gaza Strip.
And on the seventh day (after the release of seven of the Zionist prisoners), the forces of the occupying Israeli regime completely retreat from Al-Rashid coastal road to the east to Salahuddin road.
Israel pledged to completely destroy its bases and military installations in this area, and thus the return of refugees to their places of residence (without carrying weapons) will begin. The freedom of movement of people in all areas of the Gaza Strip will be unrestricted and the entry of humanitarian aid will be unrestricted from the first day.
On the 22nd day, Israeli forces will withdraw from the center of the Gaza Strip (especially the Netsarim axis east of Salah al-Din Road to the area along the border) and military bases and installations will be completely dismantled.
From the first day, humanitarian aid will be allowed (600 trucks per day, including 50 fuel trucks, 300 of which belong to the northern Gaza Strip). This includes the fuel needed to run the power plant and the commercial and construction equipment needed to remove the debris and rebuild and run the hospital.
Exchange of prisoners:
Hamas will release 33 Israeli prisoners (civilian women and soldiers), children (under 19 years old and nine soldiers), adults (over 50 years old), sick and wounded civilians.
In return, the Zionist regime will release a number of Palestinian prisoners. Considering the lists provided by Hamas based on the priority of their arrest, the Israeli regime will release 30 Palestinian women and children for every woman or child released by Hamas.
Also, according to the list provided by Hamas based on the priority of their arrest, in exchange for the release of every elderly and sick Zionist by Hamas, Israel will release 30 adult and sick prisoners (with up to 15 years left of their captivity).
For every female soldier released, Israel releases 50 Palestinian prisoners (30 serving life sentences and 20 serving sentences of up to 15 years).
This is subject to the lists provided by Hamas, except for the agreed list. The number of Palestinian prisoners (at least 100 people) that will be discussed in the second stage. Some of them will be released and deported abroad or to Gaza.
Prisoner exchange mechanism between the two sides in the first stage:
Hamas will release three Israeli civilians on the first day and four more on the seventh day. After that, Hamas will release three Israeli prisoners every seven days, starting with women.
It was decided that all living Israeli prisoners would be released before the bodies, and in the sixth week, Hamas would release all the remaining prisoners at this stage in exchange for the release of the agreed number of Palestinian prisoners in the prisons of the Israeli regime. This release is done simultaneously and based on the lists provided by Hamas.
By the seventh day, Hamas will provide information about the number of Israeli prisoners that will be released in this phase.
In the sixth week (after the release of Hisham al-Sayed and Afra Mengisto, who join the total of 33 Israeli prisoners), Israel releases 47 prisoners who have been recaptured from the Shalit contract (the name of the Israeli prisoner).
If the number of living Israeli prisoners who are to be released at this stage does not reach 33 people, this number will be completed by returning the bodies of those groups, and on the other hand, the regime In the sixth week, Israel will release all women and children (under the age of 19 and non-combatants) who were arrested in the Gaza Strip after October 7.
Israel pledged not to re-arrest the released Palestinians on the same charges and would not attempt to return the released Palestinian prisoners to serve the remainder of their sentences.
By the 16th day at the latest, indirect negotiations between the two sides will begin to agree on the conditions for the implementation of the second phase, especially those related to the opening of the exchange of prisoners.
Negotiations will be completed and agreed upon by the end of the fifth week of this phase.
The United Nations, its agencies and other organizations will continue to provide humanitarian services in all areas of the Gaza Strip.
Begin rebuilding infrastructure (electricity, water, sewage, communications and roads) throughout the Gaza Strip and bringing in the agreed amount of equipment needed for civil defense (relief agencies).
Facilitating the arrival of supplies and necessities for the settlement of displaced people who lost their homes in the war. At least 60,000 caravans and 200,000 tents will arrive.
The agreement stipulates that Qatar, the United States and Egypt will do their best to ensure that the indirect talks continue until the two sides can agree on the terms of the second phase.
The second stage (42 days):
A permanent ceasefire (stopping military operations and acts of aggression in an orderly manner) will be declared and will begin before the exchange of prisoners.
The agreement states: We are talking here about all surviving Israeli prisoners, in exchange for the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. At this stage, the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip will take place.
The third stage (42 days):
Exchange of all bodies between the two parties after determining their location and identification.
The implementation of the 3 to 5-year reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip, including housing, urban facilities, civilian infrastructure and support for victims, will begin under the supervision of countries and organizations including Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.
Reopening border crossings and facilitating the movement of people and goods.
Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar (Doha, Qatar) announced the success of the efforts to stop the ceasefire in Gaza and announced: The Palestinian and Israeli sides have agreed to the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar added: With the agreement of the negotiating parties, the work to complete the implementation aspects of this agreement continues tonight.
He added: The implementation of the agreement will begin on Sunday, January 19, and according to the agreement, Hamas will release 33 hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The Zionist regime, with the support of the United States, launched a devastating war against the residents of the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, as a result of which, in addition to massive destruction and deadly famine, more than thousands of Palestinians, most of whom are women and children, were martyred and injured.
Despite all these crimes, the Zionist regime admitted that after 467 days of war against the residents of Gaza, it could not achieve its goals of this war, namely the destruction of the Hamas movement and the return of the Zionist prisoners from the Gaza Strip.