It's easy to be skeptical about this week's peace agreement between Israel and Hamas. The recent history of the Middle East is filled with misery, dashed hopes, and broken promises, with major interests possessing seemingly irreconcilable differences.
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| Joy in Israel (Correa/AP/WSJ) |
Nevertheless, the spontaneous outpourings of joy in both Israel and Gaza at even the
possibility of an end to the fighting reveal the powerful yearning for peace. Herewith the key elements of the
Gaza deal--you, dear reader, be the judge of whether all parties have enough incentives to make it stick.
All living hostages held by Hamas are to be released.
Roughly 20 hostages are believed to be alive. Trump said they would be released Monday or Tuesday, as “getting them is a complicated process.”
Egyptian officials and others briefed on the deal said mediators are still hashing out the arrangements.
The bodies of around 28 hostages who have died are to be handed over later. Hamas has said it would need at least 10 days to locate the bodies, according to people close to the talks.
The families of hostages are waiting anxiously to see their captive relatives return after a monthslong struggle in the streets and lobbying world leaders.
Israel will release Palestinian prisoners.
Once all the hostages are returned, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinians who are in Israeli prisons and 1,700 Palestinians who have been detained in Gaza during the conflict. Precisely who is on that list is being finalized.
Hamas has pushed to get as many big-name prisoners released as possible, including Marwan Barghouti, whom Israel jailed over his role in a Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s.
A cease-fire has gone into effect.
Israeli troops began withdrawing from parts of the Gaza Strip on Friday morning, Israeli and Arab officials said.
U.S. troops began to arrive in Israel on Thursday, the first of about 200 being sent to support the cease-fire in Gaza as part of an international team, according to U.S. officials.
The troops will help monitor the implementation of the cease-fire and eventual transition to a civilian government, according to a U.S. official. They will also help facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Though celebrations have erupted in both Gaza and Tel Aviv, mediators and many civilians on both sides are holding their breath to see if the cease-fire will hold. Truces have given way to renewed fighting in Gaza before.
The precise details of Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza are unclear.
A critical task in the coming days will be getting Israel and Hamas to agree on the exact lines for Israel’s initial military withdrawal.
Hamas wants Israel to exit from around 70% of Gaza in return for the release of hostages, Arab mediators said. Israel wants to vacate less territory, and the two sides are still negotiating this detail, according to people briefed on the negotiations.
The Rafah crossing with Egypt will open.
The border crossing will reopen to facilitate aid deliveries and allow for entry and exit of Palestinians. Some aid trucks have been entering Gaza in recent months, though in much lower numbers than what is needed, as the enclave endures a hunger crisis.
"Trump said they would be released Monday or Tuesday", which means that the next few days will be crucial. Why Hamas would agree to give up the hostages, Hamas' main source of leverage, remains a mystery. Regardless, if that happens, the celebrations will begin.
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