Countdown to Ceasefire: How Long Will the Gaza Conflict Endure?
The ceasefire in Gaza will begin today at 08:00, as announced by Qatar. The ceasefire is expected to start at 07:00 local time, and the group of 13 people will leave Gaza at 17:00. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed concerns about the difficulties in the prisoner exchange, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant expects the war to continue for two more months after the 4-day ceasefire. The Israeli army has said that the lines of the agreement with Hamas are not final and changes can be made. The whole world is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East, where 49 days of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have taken place. Both Hamas and Israel have agreed on a hostage exchange and a four-day humanitarian pause. In exchange for 50 Israeli prisoners held by Hamas, 150 Palestinians in Israeli prisons will be released. The ceasefire will also allow aid entry into Gaza through the Rafah Border Gate. Netanyahu expressed hopes of removing all Israeli prisoners from Gaza but acknowledged the many challenges in doing so. The Defense Minister stated that the control achieved in the north of Gaza is only the first phase of the war. The Israeli army has received a preliminary list of names of women and children to be released by Hamas, while also preparing for the next phase of the war in Gaza. The general lines of the agreement with Hamas are not final and can be changed, according to the Israeli army, with the prisoner exchange with Hamas only the beginning of the return of all prisoners. This follows a prisoner exchange agreement from 2011 when 1027 Palestinian prisoners were released in exchange for an Israeli soldier, although Israel subsequently re-arrested some of the released Palestinians.
