RASC News Agency: Close to fifty days after the Operation Thunder of Jerusalem and the bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli army, the conflicting parties, with Qatar mediating, have agreed to a four-day ceasefire. Subsequent to this, a group of Israeli prisoners were exchanged with some Palestinian prisoners. This ceasefire, following six weeks of conflict between Israel and Hamas resulting in the destruction of extensive areas of Gaza City and the death of 13,000 Palestinians, is a mutual agreement between both parties to exchange captives. In this exchange, Hamas released fifty Israeli prisoners, and the Israeli government, in return, freed 150 Palestinian women and children.
Meanwhile, Qatar, the primary host of the talks for this four-day ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, has stated that this agreement will increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. On the other side, the Israeli government, by expressing conditions for extending this ceasefire with Hamas, has declared its willingness to prolong it further, under the condition that for every 10 Israeli captives released by Hamas, one additional day will be added to the ceasefire. This agreement, mediated by Qatar in coordination with other regional and global powers, including the United States and Egypt, is set to conclude on Monday. So far, there has been no statement from the mediator country or Hamas regarding its further extension.
In this ceasefire agreement, it has been stipulated that if either party violates the terms or is perceived to have broken the agreement, neither party is expected to refrain from resuming hostilities. The four-day ceasefire agreement also mentions that the withdrawal of the Israeli army and military equipment, which entered Gaza after the clashes with Hamas, will not take place. According to the agreement, Israel will not withdraw its soldiers, tanks, armored vehicles, and other military infrastructure from Gaza.
According to the agreement, 200 trucks carrying food and medicine will be sent daily to various parts of the Gaza Strip. At least eight humanitarian aid planes from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, and Tunisia will land at the International Airport of Al-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula and then be transferred to Gaza. Rwanda has sent 16 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza among the contributing countries, and Japan has pledged an additional $65 million in humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.
The European Union has also sent food and medicine aid to the citizens of Gaza and has stated that it will triple this process. The International Development Cooperation Agency of China has announced that the country will provide humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, worth 15 million yuan ($2.05 million) to the people of Gaza. Saudi Arabia has also launched a government campaign to collect humanitarian aid for Gaza and stated that it has collected over $17 million in financial aid in just a few hours.
The Egyptian government has announced that it has received 28 tons of humanitarian aid from Russia destined for Gaza. According to the Russian Embassy’s statement in Egypt, this shipment, provided by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, includes 28 tons of medicine, hemostatic materials, and medical supplies. Meanwhile, a UNICEF representative in Egypt has stated that the aid sent to Gaza is not sufficient to meet the needs of the people in the war-torn city, and the number of aids should be increased. In nearly fifty days of extensive air strikes and bombing of Gaza City by the Israeli army, over 13,000 people have been killed, one million citizens have been displaced, and tens of thousands more have been injured.
This four-day ceasefire, which began on, November 24, and continued until yesterday, the successful exchange of Israeli and Palestinian prisoners has paved the way for the extension of humanitarian aid efforts before the end of the current ceasefire, with hopes for continued progress in countries around the world. Reports suggest that around 7,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and 200 Israelis in Hamas custody will be exchanged.
Hamas had previously stated in a declaration about the ceasefire agreement to assist the war-torn people of Gaza: “While we declare reaching a ceasefire agreement, we emphasize that our hands will remain on the trigger, and the wheels of our victory are ready to defend the Palestinian people and defeat the occupiers.” According to the agreement reached between the two sides for the four-day ceasefire, it ended yesterday, Monday, and it is said that this ceasefire has been extended for an additional two days.
