Ceasefire has begun. What did Israel agree with Hamas and how long will war go on

During the preparation of the material, statements from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his advisor Mark Regev, Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and publications from The Times of Israel, Haaretz, Reuters, and BBC were used.

The situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip

On the eve of the ceasefire, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued to attack terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip. There are reports of the elimination of the leader of the Hamas naval forces, Amar Abu Jalalah, who was involved in organizing several incursions into Israeli territory. This morning, fighters from the 36th division, with the participation of the "Yahalom" special forces, destroyed tunnels under the Shifa hospital complex in Gaza.

The ceasefire agreement came into effect on November 24 at 07:00 (Kyiv time).

Within 15 minutes, the kibbutzim Ein Hashlosha and Kissufim near the sector were shelled. In the morning, trucks with fuel and humanitarian aid began to enter through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. According to the Egyptian side, 130,000 liters of diesel fuel, four trucks of gas, and 200 trucks with humanitarian aid will be delivered to the enclave every day.

It is reported that the Israel Defense Forces distributed leaflets asking residents not to return to the northern areas until the cessation of hostilities. However, many Gaza residents followed the calls of Hamas representatives to return with the beginning of the ceasefire, which led to the use of crowd dispersal means.

In the first half of the day, a siren sounded in Eilat, the kibbutzim Eilot, and the Shchoret industrial zone. It was initially expected to be an attempt to violate the airspace by a drone or a cruise missile, but later the IDF announced a false alarm.

Photo: Humanitarian aid trucks entering the Gaza sector from the Egyptian side (twitter.com/Delhiite)

"Operations on the West Bank of the Jordan River continue. Israeli military detained 10 suspects involved in terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria, including two members of Hamas. Since the beginning of the war, almost 2000 individuals have been detained in the Palestinian territories.

Even before the ceasefire took effect, an attempt was made to detain a fighter associated with the Islamic Jihad to the south of Jericho, but he resisted with arms and was subsequently shot and killed. An M-16 automatic rifle and other weapons were found in his vehicle.

The Times of Israel quotes a senior officer of the Southern Command of the IDF stating that anyone posing a threat to the military in Gaza will be eliminated since the security of the military is the highest priority.

"Most of the time, we will prepare and plan for future tasks. We are preparing to strike with all our might immediately after the end of the ceasefire," he added.

Key points about the ceasefire. What the parties agreed on As part of the four-day ceasefire regime, Israeli hostages will be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners. Throughout these days, humanitarian aid and fuel are supposed to reach the Gaza Strip. The terms of the ceasefire may be extended, but no more than 10 days.

According to the agreements, Hamas will release 50 hostages, and Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners. Then, for every 10 released hostages, the Israeli side is willing to extend the ceasefire for another day. In total, there is readiness to release up to 300 Palestinians, most of whom are young men detained for attacks on Israelis.

According to the Prime Minister's adviser, Mark Regev, the top priority is to return women and children. After that, everything possible will be done to release men.

"We know who we are dealing with. Hamas is a cruel, ruthless terrorist organization, and we must be prepared for surprises... But since Hamas is under military pressure, we are hitting its equipment, we are hitting its commanders, we are eliminating its senior military commanders... They need this time-out," he said, calling the ceasefire with terrorists a calculated risk.

Haaretz, citing a high-ranking official, writes that through Qatari mediation, Hamas is expected to release 30 children and 20 women within four days. After that, 190 more Israelis are to be released. In a statement from the Qatari Foreign Ministry, it is stated that 50 individuals will be exchanged for Palestinian women and children. At later stages, the number of those released will be increased.

The first exchange is taking place as planned As planned, the first group was released at 4:00 PM. Several hours before that, Qatar arranged for Hamas to additionally release 12 Thai citizens. At present, they, along with 13 Israelis (all residents of one kibbutz), have been handed over to Red Cross workers in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Videos have already appeared online showing Red Cross vehicles crossing the border between Egypt and Israel.

First look at the Israeli hostages crossing the Egyptian border into Israel pic.twitter.com/HVVymIUx9B

— Emily Schrader - אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) November 24, 2023

For the meeting with the hostages, Israel has prepared the operation 'Heavenly Gate.' It is planned that four helicopters with prepared medical brigades will meet the released individuals. They will then be transported to the 'Hatzerim' base, where they can contact their relatives.

After a medical examination, the individuals will be taken to five hospitals, where special units are prepared for them. This morning, IDF representatives informed the relatives of the kidnapped whether their loved ones would be released in the first stage or not. After the exchange, they will spend at least two days under the supervision of medics. Adults will be interviewed by the military, while specialists-psychologists will work with the children.

According to the agreements, for every Israeli released, three Palestinians will be released. Thus, as part of today's exchange, 39 prisoners are expected to be handed over. In the second half of the day, a Red Cross bus arrived at the Ofer prison to receive them.

What will happen after the ceasefire?

Before the ceasefire took effect, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a video warning residents of the Gaza Strip that the war is not over yet. The humanitarian pause is temporary, and the northern part remains a dangerous zone where returning is prohibited.

As Defense Minister Yoav Galant stated, the IDF will resume intensive combat operations for at least two more months, and the quiet will be used for preparation, replenishment of weapons stocks, and planning further operations.

"What you will see in the coming days is the beginning of the release of hostages. This respite will be short... The continuation (of the military operation, - ed.) will happen because we need to achieve victory and the return of the remaining hostages, and they will only return under pressure (on Hamas, - ed.)," he added.

Today, Galant reiterated the message about a short break during a meeting with his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto in Tel Aviv and emphasized that combat operations would resume in full.

"There will be a short pause, and then we will continue to act with full military power. We will not stop until we achieve our goals: the destruction of Hamas and the return of hostages from Gaza to Israel - 240 of them, and this is what we cannot accept and what we cannot tolerate," he said.

Representatives of Turkey and Iran hope that the current ceasefire will allow for a complete cessation of hostilities after the deadline. As stated by the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Ankara is working on this. Considering the statements of Israeli leaders, such a possibility is considered unlikely.

Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledges to continue the war against Hamas until its liquidation (Getty Images)

On the eve of the ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the Mossad intelligence service to eliminate all leaders of Hamas. He also hinted that this directive is not only about the Gaza Strip, and the intelligence agency may target those who are hiding, including in Qatar. Regarding the timeline of the war against terrorists, it will continue until all goals are achieved.

"Until we bring back the hostages, eliminate Hamas, and ensure that the day after Hamas, no element that supports terrorism, educates its children to become future terrorists, and pays terrorists or their families gains control over Gaza, we will not stop," he clarified.

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Terrorists attacked Israel on the morning of October 7, 2023, carrying out a massacre at a music festival in the Reim forest and in the communities of Beeri, Kfar-Aza, and Nir-Oz. They also infiltrated Sderot, Ofakim, Netivot, and other settlements. At the moment, approximately 1200 victims have been identified, including citizens from around 30 countries, including Ukraine.

In response, the Israeli government declared a state of war for the first time since 1973 and initiated a large-scale operation called Iron Swords. Since the end of October, a ground phase has been underway in the Gaza Strip. Dozens of military personnel have been killed in battles with terrorists, making the overall losses the highest in the last 50 years.

Recently, another group of Ukrainians was successfully evacuated from the Gaza Strip. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 8 individuals were brought to Egypt, and another 26 citizens reached Moldova via a charter flight from Egypt. In total, 259 Ukrainians have been evacuated in the first stage.

"We are grateful to Egypt, Israel, Qatar, and other partners for their support," stated the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oleh Nikolenko