After 15 months of a destructive war, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas finally took effect in Gaza. The first phase of the deal, described by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “temporary ceasefire”, started on Sunday January 19th. During these 6 weeks, the 33 Israeli hostages, including women and children, and 1000 Palestinian prisoners will regain their freedom. On Sunday, Hamas released three women hostages, Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbreche, and was soon followed by Israel, who freed 90 Palestinian prisoners a few hours later. These first releases brought a wave of relief on both sides. Israeli 18 year-old Ariella Cohen said, “We’ve been waiting so long for our hostages to finally come home, praying, hoping, and now it’s finally happening.”. The agreement also allows the 600 aid trucks to enter Gaza daily, in order to help the population recover since the destruction of 90% of the home units in Gaza. “What happened in Gaza is so heartbreaking,” Freshman Sofie Samiei said. “So many homes and businesses were destroyed.”
The next two phases haven’t been discussed yet, but the Israeli and Gaza governments are expected to start the negotiations regarding the 2nd phase on the 16th day of the ceasefire. Despite the Biden and Trump administration’s collaboration in order to pressure all the countries involved in the conflict, the agreement remains fragile.