Ceasefire Deal in Gaza Releases Prisoners and Hostages

January 20th, 2025

Azzy Xiang

After war has devastated Gaza for more than four hundred and sixty days, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a temporary ceasefire deal, which will release captives and prisoners held, while allowing displaced Palestenians to return to their homes. There will first be a limited prisoner exchange for six weeks, the partial withdrawal of troops in Gaza, and aid. Civilians will return home and aid agencies with up to six hundred trucks may arrive. In the second phase, which has yet to be voted upon by the Israeli cabinet, Hamas will release all living captives for more Palestenians being freed, and Israel will completely withdraw from Gaza.

The Biden and Trump teams worked together in an unlikely cooperation to assist with pushing forward the Gaza ceasefire, with Biden securing the hostage deal and other officials putting pressure on Hamas. Netanyahu then called Trump and arranged a meeting with Washington.

Three women hostages were released from Gaza as part of this careful deal, who were held since the Hamas attack two years ago. They were the first of the approximately one hundred hostages that remain in Gaza, and thirty-three hostages will be released over six weeks, including women, children, and the elderly. Israel would release ninety prisoners in exchange for these three hostages' freedom. Celebrations in the West Bank take place as the 90 Palestinian prisoners are freed from Israeli jails, and searches for around ten thousand bodies buried in the wartime rubble are now taking place.

However, the ceasefire may not last long, and diplomats fear that after the first phase of prisoner release the war could resume. Israel and Palestine have been continuously blaming each other for delays on this deal that has been negotiated for over a year, and the ceasefire doesn't end the long-lasting consequences and devastation of the conflict.