An agreement involving the exchange of hostages and a ceasefire between Hamas and the Israeli Defense Forces in the Gaza Strip has been reached, Axios reporter Barak Ravid announced on Wednesday, citing a US official.
The agreement outlines an initial six-week period of ceasefire, during which Israeli troops will begin a phased retreat to the edges of the enclave. This process also involves the liberation of hostages currently held by Hamas in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel. It is claimed that Israel plans to free 30 Palestinian detainees in exchange for each civilian hostage and 50 per female soldier. The deal also mandates that 600 truckloads of humanitarian aid must be transported into Gaza on every day that the ceasefire is in effect.
Earlier, the group's leader Khalil Al Hayya delivered approval of the ceasefire agreement to mediators in Doha. The deal would halt a 15-month war that started on October 7, 2023, and killed over 46,700 Gazans.
