33 hostages, 737 prisoners, 42 days: Phase 1 of Israel-Hamas Gaza ceasefire deal
Israel would also reportedly maintain a buffer zone within Gaza during the first phase of the proposed ceasefire agreement.
The approval of Israel's cabinet to the ceasefire deal with Hamas has paved the way for a pause to the 15 months of war in Gaza, with the six-week truce starting Sunday, January 19.
ceasefire deal will also witness Israel allowing displaced Palestinians to return home via electronic checkpoints. (AP)
An Israeli official earlier this week said that negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire agreement will begin on the "16th day" of the first phase's implementation.
ALSO READ | Joe Biden administration thanks Donald Trump after Israel-Hamas hostage deal: ‘Crucial’
Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed, meanwhile, said that the mediating countries, Qatar, Egypt and the US, will closely monitor the truce deal through a body based in Cairo.
There was a "clear mechanism to negotiate phase two and three", he added.
“We hope that this will be the last page of the war and we hope that all parties will commit to implementing all the terms of this agreement," Qatar’s PM had said.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden had asserted that the second phase of the truce deal would bring a “permanent end to the war”, adding that it would comprise an exchange for the release of remaining hostages who are still alive. Following which, all the remaining Israeli troops will also withdraw from Gaza.
