Gaza Ceasefire Deal Unstalled: Mediators Break the Impasse

Reuters reported that Israeli officials announced a resolution to the recent impasse regarding the release of Palestinian prisoners under an ongoing ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Initially, Israel had postponed releasing 600 Palestinian detainees in protest over what it considered harsh treatment of captured Israelis handed over by Hamas. However, this deadlock appears to have been resolved through mediation efforts.

It is anticipated that these freed Palestinians will be accompanied by another batch on Wednesday or Thursday as part of a larger deal involving the return of four Israeli hostage bodies. This development has paved the way for US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff’s planned visit to facilitate further discussions and progress towards the ceasefire agreement.

Meanwhile, thousands of Israelis gathered in Rishon LeZion to mourn hostages Shiri Bibas and her sons Ariel and Kfir, who were tragically killed by Hamas after being abducted during an attack on Israel on October 7th. Their funeral procession highlighted the profound impact of this conflict on both sides.

Hamas released a statement confirming that a delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya had concluded talks in Cairo to address and resolve the prisoner release issue. According to Hamas, all prisoners scheduled for release would be freed alongside the four Israeli hostages’ bodies. Additionally, they stated their commitment to adhering fully to the ceasefire agreement.

However, there has been no official confirmation from Israel regarding this resolution. Sources close to Haaretz newspaper indicated that it is likely that the hostage remains will be handed over by Hamas on Wednesday evening at Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza. Furthermore, their families have been notified of the arrangement, although specifics about which hostages are involved remain undisclosed.

Egyptian officials confirmed that no ceremonies would take place within Gaza as part of these body transfers, underlining the urgency and gravity surrounding this development.

The previous agreement stipulated that 33 Israeli hostages should be exchanged for approximately 1900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. To date, 25 living and four deceased hostages have been freed in line with this arrangement; both Israel and Hamas claim to still hold the remaining four dead individuals captive. Additionally, five Thai nationals who were not part of the original deal were also released.

Significant progress has already been made under the ceasefire: Israeli forces withdrew from densely populated areas, allowing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return home in northern Gaza. Daily humanitarian aid convoys are now entering Gaza following this withdrawal.

The second phase of the ceasefire is expected to include the release of all 57 remaining hostages, a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the establishment of a permanent peace accord. This would follow Israel’s military campaign launched on October 8th in response to Hamas’s attack that left over 1200 people dead and 251 hostage.

Since then, according to Gazan health authorities under Hamas control, at least 48,348 individuals have perished in Gaza. Nearly two-thirds of the territory’s population has been displaced multiple times due to the conflict. Additionally, about 70% of buildings are damaged or destroyed, and critical systems such as healthcare, water supply, sanitation, hygiene infrastructure have collapsed.

Despite these grim statistics illustrating the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza, steps towards resolving this long-standing dispute continue with recent diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability to the region.