Khaberni - After the start of indirect negotiations between delegations of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel and the mediators last Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh, it was announced this Thursday morning that an agreement has been reached regarding the first phase of President Donald Trump's plan concerning the Gaza Strip.
The first phase includes a ceasefire, the date of which has not yet been set for implementation, as well as the release of Israeli prisoners held in the Gaza Strip by next Monday at the latest, amid waiting for the official signing of an agreement that ends the bloody war ongoing for two years.
When will the agreement be signed?
The mediators have not yet announced the official date of signing the agreement, but it is expected to be signed in Egypt this Thursday afternoon, according to a Palestinian source reported by Agence France-Presse.
What does the agreement include?
The American President announced that the Israel-Hamas agreement on the first phase of his plan "means that all hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw its forces to the agreed line, which are the first steps towards a strong, lasting, and eternal peace."
According to a leader in Hamas reported by Agence France-Presse, the movement will release 20 living Israeli prisoners all at once in exchange for Israel’s release of more than 2000 Palestinian detainees, including 250 serving life sentences and 1700 arrested since the beginning of the war two years ago.
A Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations also announced that this exchange process should take place within 72 hours from the start of the agreement, noting that "the agreement was reached with the approval of the Palestinian factions."
The same source told Agence France-Presse that the agreement also provides for the entry of at least 400 aid trucks daily into the Gaza Strip "during the first five days after the ceasefire," while this number will be increased in the coming days.
Furthermore, "the agreement provides for the return of displaced persons from the south of the Strip to Gaza City (central) and the north of the Strip as soon as its implementation begins," according to the same source.
Regarding the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Strip, the American network "ABC" reported, quoting an official in the White House, that the withdrawal to the separation line in Gaza will take less than 24 hours from Tel Aviv's approval of the agreement.
Concerning the deceased Israeli prisoners, an informed official told The New York Times that the remains of about 28 detainees will be returned in phases because locating some of them will take longer.
What are the next steps?
The mediators have not yet announced details of the agreement. However, the spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed Al-Ansari, confirmed that both sides "have approved all the clauses and mechanisms for implementing the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to stopping the war and releasing detained Israelis and Palestinian prisoners and the entry of aid, with details to be announced later."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would chair a government meeting today, Thursday, to approve the agreement.
It is expected that Trump will travel to Egypt in the coming days, after the White House said he is considering going to the region.
Netanyahu invited Trump to deliver a speech before the Israeli parliament, and Trump told Axios he is prepared to do so.
What do we not know?
There are still substantial details that are unclear. Among these details are the timing, management of the Gaza Strip after the war, and the fate of Hamas.
There is no clear indication of who will govern Gaza after the end of the war. Trump's 20-point plan suggests a role for the Palestinian Authority, but only after it undergoes major reforms.
When will the other phases be discussed?
The agreement so far includes the first phase of Trump's plan. But the upcoming phases, which entail the disarmament of Hamas and the formation of a technocratic Palestinian government to govern the Gaza Strip under international supervision, with an "International Peace Council" chaired by the American President, require more negotiations.
A leader in Hamas stated that negotiations on implementing the second phase of Trump's plan will start immediately after the implementation of the first phase begins.
