A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip is set to take effect on Sunday morning, with a prisoner release expected to follow hours later, potentially paving the way for an end to the 15-month conflict that has shaken the Middle East.
According to reports from media outlets close to the Hamas, Israel has begun to withdraw its troops from the southern areas of the Gaza Strip, with sources indicating that the military is pulling back from the Rafah region to the Philadelphia Corridor along the border with Egypt.
Just before the ceasefire was set to take effect, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his demand for a list of the prisoners to be released on Sunday. The Prime Minister’s office stated that the ceasefire would only begin once Israel receives the list of released prisoners, while the Hamas cited “technical reasons” for the delay.
Under the initial phase, which will last six weeks, 33 of the remaining 98 prisoners – women, children, men over 50, the sick, and the wounded – will be released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
According to the agreement, the Israeli military will withdraw from some of its positions in the Gaza Strip, and Palestinians who were forced to leave areas in the northern Gaza Strip will be allowed to return.
The team of US President Joe Biden, who worked closely with Trump’s Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, was instrumental in bringing the agreement to fruition. Just before his inauguration, former President Donald Trump reiterated his demand for a rapid agreement and warned that “hell would break loose” if the prisoners were not released.