Israel-Hamas War: Why did Israel agree to a ceasefire with Hamas, who is behind this deal? 10 big updates

Israel-Hamas War: Ceasefire has been announced for the first time amid the Israel-Hamas war. Qatar has confirmed a four-day ceasefire. The commencement of the ceasefire will be announced within a day.

According to media reports, the Israeli government has announced the agreement for the release of 50 hostages held by Hamas during these four days, all of whom include women and children. The war between Israel and Hamas is likely to remain stalled during these 4 days.

Who is included in the 50 hostages?

According to the Times of Israel report, the 50 hostages include 30 children, 12 women, and 8 mothers. Let us tell you that a group of 12 to 13 hostages will be released every day. At the same time, under the agreement, 150 Palestinian women and children imprisoned in Israeli jails will also be released.

Israeli cabinet approves ceasefire

The full statement of the Israeli government on this agreement has also come out. It says that 'the Israeli government is obliged to return all hostages home. The government has approved the outline of the first phase of the ceasefire. Under this, at least 50 hostages - women and children - will be released in these four days. There will be a pause in fighting during this period. The Times of Israel report also said that 30 more hostages could be released and that there were fears of an extended pause in the fighting.

Are Qatar and Egypt behind this deal?

America has welcomed the release of 50 hostages. US Secretary Antony Blinken has also welcomed the partnership between Qatar and Egypt behind this deal. "We welcome the release of 50 hostages, including Americans, from captivity in Gaza," he wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Thank Qatar and Egypt for their partnership and appreciate Israel's support for the humanitarian pause that will allow additional humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians in Gaza.'

What is the meaning of this 4-day ceasefire?

The deal has not been formally released to the public, but an Israeli government official told reporters on Tuesday that the deal is expected to lead to the release of 50 surviving Israeli civilians, mostly women and children.

In return, Israel has agreed to a ceasefire for at least four days for the first time since the war began. Meanwhile, Israel also agreed to release Palestinian women and minors from prison and return them to their homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The Hamas statement said that the purpose of this agreement is to serve the citizens and increase their resiliency in the face of aggression.

There will be a ceasefire, but the war will not stop

Amidst the agreement, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that the deal of these 4 days does not mean that the war will stop. Netanyahu pledged that even after the ceasefire, the Israeli army would move forward and achieve victory. Let us tell you that Israeli bombardment continued throughout the night across Gaza, including around the Indonesian hospital and Khan Yunis, south of the enclave. More than 14,100 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7. In Israel, the official death toll from Hamas attacks is around 1,200.

Israel will also provide additional fuel to Gaza

Israel also agreed to allow additional fuel into Gaza as well as significant amounts of humanitarian aid. Hamas said that as part of the ceasefire, Israel would stop drone flights over southern Gaza and move them only to the north of Gaza, six hours a day, between 10 am and 4 pm.

Russia including America welcomed the deal

US President Joe Biden has welcomed the agreement to ensure the release of the hostages. Biden said the deal should also bring home additional American hostages. "Today's agreement must bring additional American hostages home and I will not stop until they are all released," he said in a statement.

At the same time, Russia also welcomed the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement. The RIA news agency on Wednesday quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria as saying that Russia welcomes the humanitarian ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Also Read: Israel-Hamas War: 'Children and women are being killed every day in Gaza', UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over the increasing deaths.