Gaza ceasefire to begin Sunday after Israeli security cabinet approval

A ceasefire in Gaza will come into effect at 08h30 local time on Sunday after Israel’s security cabinet approved a deal reached with Hamas.

This could see the first group of Israeli hostages released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners during that day.

It is hoped the agreement will pave the way for an end to the 15-month-old war in the Palestinian enclave, which began when the militant group attacked Israel on 7 October 2023.

The ceasefire deal was greeted with joy in Gaza despite continued Israel airstrikes. Palestinian medics say 119 people have been killed since it was agreed on Wednesday.

Israel’s offensive razed much of the heavily urbanised enclave, killed more than 46 thousand people, and displaced most of the population several times.

The three-stage ceasefire starts with an initial six-week phase during which 33 hostages held by Hamas will be released in exchanged for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

The remainder, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first.

Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.

Also during the first phase, Israeli troops will pull back into a buffer zone about a kilometre-wide inside Gaza, along its borders with Israel.

This will allow displaced Palestinians to get back to their homes, including in Gaza City and the north of the enclave.

With most Gazans driven into huge, squalid tent camps, they are desperate to return, even though many of their homes were destroyed or heavily damaged by Israel’s campaign.

Qatar, which brokered the deal along with the United States and Egypt, said there will also be humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza, as well as the rehabilitation of hospitals, clinics, and bakeries.

Stage 2 will reportedly see a permanent end to the war, while Stage 3 would involve the reconstruction of Gaza which will likely take years.