Imminent Gaza Ceasefire agreement, Prisoner Swap deal between Hamas, Israel

CAIRO – 13 January 2025: Israeli media reported that the Gaza ceasefire agreement and prisoner swap deal are imminent and Israeli Ministries instructed to be ready for receiving the Israeli captives when released.

It has been reported that the first phase of the anticipated ceasefire agreement in Gaza is expected to last 42 days, with negotiations for subsequent phases set to begin 16 days after the ceasefire.

Israeli Channel 13 reported a political source, who confirms that the first stage, called the humanitarian stage, includes 33 Israeli prisoners. Meanwhile, the second stage, which aims to include the prisoner swap, will begin during the implementation of the first stage.

The source continued that the Israeli army will not withdraw from the Strip until all the captives are returned to their homes.

In the first stage, all women, whether civilians or soldiers, children, the elderly over 50, and the wounded and sick will be released

The agreement also includes the names of the Israeli captives, the source said, noting that this period will extend over several weeks.

Within the framework of the agreement, there will be security arrangements that will allow Gaza residents to move to the northern Gaza Strip.

Last week, Hamas revealed a list of 34 names of Israeli captives whom likely to be released in case a ceasefire agreement reached.

Negotiations, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, have been stalled for over 15 months, with only one brief ceasefire achieved during that time.

The six-day ceasefire in November 2023 resulted in the release of around 100 Israeli captives in exchange for about 240 Palestinian prisoners.

Since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have launched hundreds of airstrikes and artillery shelling against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip, committing atrocities across various parts of the Strip. These include massacres against civilians and horrific acts in areas of military incursion. The situation is further exacerbated by a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, driven by the ongoing siege and the displacement of more than 90% of Gaza's population.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, the death toll of the Palestinians due to the Israeli genocidal bombings reached 46,584 martyrs and 109,731 injured since October 7, 2023.

The Ministry also said that that a total of 4,500 Palestinians suffer from amputations of upper or lower limbs in the Strip since the beginning of the war, including about 800 children and 540 women.

Meanwhile, Israeli army announced that 840 soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the war, 405 of them since the beginning of the ground offensive in Gaza. Additionally, 2566 officers and soldiers have been injured since the beginning of the ground operation in Gaza, including 495 seriously injured. A total of 5617 officers and soldiers have been injured since the beginning of the war, including 833 seriously injured.