Qatar officially announces a ceasefire agreement in Gaza to be implemented next Sunday

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman announced on Wednesday evening that mediators had succeeded in reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, noting that it would begin to be implemented next Sunday.

The Qatari Prime Minister said, in a press conference held in Doha, that Qatar is pleased to announce the success of the mediators in reaching an agreement to exchange prisoners and return to sustainable calm, leading to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

He explained that the first phase of the agreement lasts for 42 days, and includes the release of 33 Israeli detainees in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners.

Bin Abdul Rahman pointed out that Qatar, Egypt and the United States will work to ensure the implementation of the agreement, as there will be mechanisms to follow up on its implementation and any violations that may occur.

The Qatari Prime Minister hoped that no military operations would be carried out during the period preceding the start of implementing the agreement.

This comes on the 467th day of the Israeli war of extermination on the Strip, which, with US support, has left more than 156,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing, amidst massive destruction and famine that has killed dozens of children and elderly people, in one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.

In turn, Hamas described the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, which is expected to come into effect next Sunday, on Wednesday as a watershed in the conflict with the Israeli occupation.

Hamas said in a statement, “The ceasefire agreement is the fruit of the legendary steadfastness of our great Palestinian people and our valiant resistance in the Gaza Strip, over more than 15 months”.

Hamas added, “The agreement to stop the aggression on Gaza is an achievement for our people, our resistance, our nation, and the free people of the world. It is a turning point in the conflict with the enemy, on the path to achieving our people’s goals of liberation and return”.

Hamas continued, “This agreement comes from our responsibility towards our steadfast and patient people in the proud Gaza Strip, to stop the Zionist aggression against them, and put an end to the torrent of blood, massacres and war of extermination to which they are being subjected”.

The statement expressed appreciation for the official and popular positions that stood by Gaza and contributed to exposing Israel’s practices and stopping the aggression, at the Arab, Islamic and international levels.

Hamas thanked the mediators who made great efforts to reach this agreement.

Hamas also praised the prominent role played by Qatar and Egypt in the success of the mediation.

Palestinians expressed their joy on Wednesday evening, following news of the imminent reaching of a ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian factions and Israel, through international mediation, after 16 months of Israeli genocide.

In the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, residents came out of their tents despite the bitter cold weather, to celebrate and express their joy at this long-awaited announcement.

In the same context, the government media office in the Gaza Strip called on the Palestinians to not move before the official announcement of the start of the ceasefire, and to rely on official sources to obtain accurate information about its timing.

Amidst the tents housing the displaced and the rubble of what were once their homes, an atmosphere of joy mixed with caution prevailed in the Gaza Strip, following news of the imminent reaching of a ceasefire agreement.

On Wednesday evening, US President-elect Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social that an agreement had been reached between the two parties.

“An agreement has been reached for a ceasefire in Gaza regarding the prisoners in the Middle East… They will be released soon… Thank you,” he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Hamas had given the mediators a positive response to the draft ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in Gaza.

Later, Hamas said in a statement, “its leadership had a short while ago delivered to the mediating brothers (Egypt and Qatar) its response to the ceasefire agreement proposal”.

An Egyptian source also said that “an agreement was reached to end the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza through the efforts of mediators after hours of hard work”.

The private Israeli Channel 12 said that the implementation of the expected prisoner exchange agreement will begin next Sunday with the release of 3 Israeli prisoners, followed by other releases in the coming days according to a specific schedule.