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Published 01/18/2025 12:04 | Edited 01/18/2025 12:22
The long-awaited ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was finally approved by the Zionist government of Benjamin Netanyahu this Saturday (18). With this, at least for now, the slaughter of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip will be stopped and the Israeli hostages will be released.
The agreement was approved after a six-hour meeting, despite pressure from ministers even more hard-line than Netanyahu himself. The score was 24 ministers in favor and eight against.
With ratification, the ceasefire — which will initially last six weeks — comes into force this Sunday (19), paving the way for negotiations that could lead to a definitive end to the attacks that have been ongoing since October 7, 2023.
On Thursday (16), Netanyahu threatened not to close the deal, arguing that Hamas had tried to change the established terms, which was denied by the group. Despite the impasse, negotiations continued. The truce was announced by Qatar and the USA on Wednesday (15).
When the pact was announced, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva commented, via social media: “After so long of suffering and destruction, the news that a ceasefire in Gaza has finally been negotiated brings hope. May the cessation of conflicts and the release of hostages help build a lasting solution that brings peace and stability to the entire Middle East.”
Also read: Israel and Hamas reach agreement on ceasefire and release of hostages
The agreement provides, in its first phase, for the return of Palestinians to their places of residence and humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, Israel would withdraw its soldiers from the most densely populated areas of the region. It is estimated that 2.3 million people forced to leave their homes due to Israeli action will be able to return to their places of residence. Most of these areas, however, are destroyed.
In addition, the release of 33 Israeli hostages was established. This group includes children, women, men over 50, injured or sick people. In exchange, Israel will also release Palestinian prisoners who, according to local sources, would total a thousand people arrested.
The second phase is expected to begin 16 days after the start of the ceasefire, when hostages and prisoners on both sides are expected to be released. Next, the reconstruction of Gaza is planned.
Deep marks
So far, according to official figures, Israeli attacks have killed 48,000 people. However, a study by The Lancet magazine points out that there may have been a 40% underreporting in the numbers.
The calculation was made based on data obtained between October 2023 and the end of June 2024. At that time, official numbers were around 37,900 deaths, while the study pointed to the possibility of more than 64 .3 thousand. Still according to these estimates, 59% of those killed are children, women and the elderly.
According to a Doctors Without Borders report released in late 2024, Gaza’s healthcare system and other essential structures are collapsing. At the time, MSF Secretary General Christopher Lockyear declared that “the recent military offensive in the North is a stark illustration of the brutal war that Israeli forces are waging in Gaza, and we are seeing clear signs of ethnic cleansing as Palestinians are forced to move, trapped and bombed.”
Also read: Ceasefire agreement advances under Netanyahu government, but distrust is widespread
A report by the World Bank and the United Nations released in April pointed out that the damage to infrastructure was critical and totaled around US$18.5 billion, which is equivalent to the combined GDP of Gaza and the West Bank in 2022. According to the UN, It would take a fleet of 100 trucks 15 years to remove nearly 40 million tons of debris left behind by Israeli attacks.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacks killed 1,200 Israelis; Dozens more were taken hostage, some of whom have since been killed.
With agencies
Source: vermelho.org.br