[News] The Gaza Ceasefire Agreement: Key Points and Steps Toward Reconstruction

[Anti-Imperialist News]

palestinechronicle.com
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/the-gaza-ceasefire-agreement-key-points-and-steps-toward-reconstruction/>
The Gaza Ceasefire Agreement: Key Points and Steps Toward Reconstruction
January 16, 2025
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A ceasefire agreement was reached in Gaza. (Design: Palestine Chronicle)

*By Palestine Chronicle Staff
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/writers/palestine-chronicle-staff>*

The ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, set to unfold in three
stages, establishes steps for military cessation, detainee exchanges, and
humanitarian relief, ultimately aiming for Gaza’s reconstruction and
lasting peace.

Below are the confirmed details of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

The agreement includes provisions for improving the conditions of
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, although Israel has refused to
release senior Palestinian prisoners.

An Egyptian-Qatari committee will oversee the return of displaced persons
from the southern Gaza Strip to the north.

Below are the key points of the ceasefire agreement, which both Hamas, as a
representative of the Palestinian Resistance, and Israel have agreed to
implement in three stages, starting Sunday, January 19, 2025:
Stage 1

*This phase will last 42 days, with the following conditions agreed upon:*

A temporary cessation of military operations by both sides, with Israeli
forces withdrawing eastward, away from populated areas, to a zone along the
border in all areas of Gaza, including Wadi Gaza (The Gaza Valley – PC).
The withdrawal will be to a distance of 700 meters from the border, based
on maps from before October 7, 2023.

A temporary suspension of Israeli air activity for military and
reconnaissance purposes in Gaza, for 10 hours per day, and 12 hours on days
when prisoners and detainees are released.

During the first phase, Israel will release approximately 2,000 prisoners,
including 250 serving life sentences, and around 1,000 prisoners detained
after October 7, 2023.

*Return of displaced persons to their homes and withdrawal from Wadi Gaza,
as follows:*

After the release of 7 Israeli detainees, Israeli forces will fully
withdraw by the seventh day of the agreement, from Rashid Street east to
Salah al-Din Street, dismantling all military positions in this area. The
return of displaced persons will begin, and freedom of movement for
civilians will be guaranteed across all of Gaza. Humanitarian aid will
enter through Rashid Street from day one without obstacles.

On the 22nd day of the agreement, Israeli forces will withdraw from central
Gaza, particularly from the Netzarim Axis and Kuwait Roundabout, to an area
near the border, dismantling all military installations. The return of
displaced persons will continue, and freedom of movement will be granted
across Gaza.

The Rafah Crossing will open seven days after the start of Stage 1, with
the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid, relief supplies, and fuel through
600 trucks daily, 50 of which will carry fuel, with 300 trucks heading to
northern Gaza.

*Exchange of detainees and prisoners, as follows:*

Hamas will release 33 Israeli detainees (alive or dead), including civilian
women, soldiers, children under 19, elderly individuals over 50, and
wounded or ill civilians, in exchange for the release of Palestinian
prisoners from Israeli jails. For every Israeli detainee released, Israel
will release 30 Palestinian children and women from prison.

In exchange for the release of 30 elderly and ill Palestinian prisoners,
Hamas will release all living Israeli detainees who are elderly, ill, or
wounded civilians.

Israel will release 50 Palestinian prisoners for each Israeli soldier
released by Hamas.

*The detainee exchange schedule in Stage 1 is as follows:*

On the first day of the agreement, Hamas will release 3 Israeli civilian
detainees. On the seventh day, it will release 4 more.

Afterward, Hamas will release 3 Israeli detainees every seven days, and all
living detainees will be released before any bodies are returned.

In the sixth week of the agreement, Israel will release 47 prisoners from
the “Shalit Deal,” who were re-arrested after their release in 2011.

If the number of living Israeli detainees released does not reach 33, the
remaining number will be made up of bodies. In return, Israel will release
all women and children detained after October 7, 2023, by the sixth week.

The detainee exchange process is linked to the adherence to the terms of
the agreement, which include the cessation of military operations by both
sides, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the return of displaced persons,
and the entry of humanitarian aid.

Palestinian prisoners released under the agreement will not be re-arrested
for the same charges for which they were previously detained. They will not
be re-arrested to complete the remainder of their sentences. Palestinian
prisoners will not be required to sign any documents as a condition for
their release.

*The criteria established for the detainee exchange in Stage 1 will not
serve as a basis for exchange in Stage 2.*

Indirect negotiations will begin between both sides on the conditions for
implementing Stage 2, no later than the 16th day of the agreement’s
implementation. An agreement must be reached before the end of the fifth
week of Stage 1.

The United Nations and its agencies, along with other international
organizations, will continue their humanitarian operations across Gaza, and
these operations will continue throughout all stages of the agreement.

The rehabilitation of Gaza’s infrastructure will begin, with the entry of
necessary equipment for civil defense teams, and the removal of rubble and
debris, continuing throughout all stages of the agreement.

The entry of supplies to build shelters for displaced persons who lost
their homes in the war will be allowed, including the construction of at
least 60,000 temporary housing units and 200,000 tents.

A larger number of wounded military personnel will be allowed to reach the
Rafah Crossing for medical treatment, and the number of people allowed to
pass through the crossing will be increased. Restrictions on travelers and
goods movement will also be lifted.

*Stage 2 (42 days)*

Declaration of sustained calm, including the permanent cessation of
military operations and hostile activities, and the resumption of detainee
exchanges, including the release of all remaining living Israeli men in
exchange for an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli forces will completely withdraw from Gaza.

*Stage 3 (42 days)*

Exchange of the bodies of deceased individuals from both sides after
identification.

The implementation of Gaza’s reconstruction plan over the course of 3 to 5
years, including homes, civilian buildings, and infrastructure, with
compensation for all affected individuals, under the supervision of
multiple countries and organizations.

Opening all crossings and allowing free movement of people and goods.

*(News Agencies, via Al-Jazeera – Translated and prepared by Palestine
Chronicle Staff)*
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