(Reuters) – Here are the highlights of the Gaza ceasefire agreement that came into force on Sunday after 15 months of conflict that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and ignited the Middle East.
The start of the ceasefire was delayed for almost three hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Hamas to provide a list of hostages to be released during the day. An Israeli official later said Israel received the list.
Details of the deal have not been made public by the mediators, Israel or Hamas. Officials commenting on the deal gave the following points:
* The first phase of the six-week ceasefire involves the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from central Gaza and the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza.
* The agreement requires 600 humanitarian aid trucks to be allowed into Gaza every day of the cessation, 50 of them carrying fuel, and 300 trucks allocated to the north, where the population's conditions are very difficult.
* Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages, including all women (soldiers and civilians), children, and men over 50. Hamas will release female prisoners under the age of 19 first, followed by men over the age of 50. The Red Cross on Sunday after 1400 GMT, the office of the Prime Minister of Israel said.
Israel will release 30 Palestinian prisoners for every person captured and 50 Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli soldier released by Hamas.
* Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas will inform the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) where the meeting point will be inside Gaza and the ICRC is expected to begin operations in that area to collect the hostages.
* Israel will release all Palestinian women and children under 19 detained since Oct. 7, 2023 at the end of the first phase. The total number of Palestinians released will depend on the victims released, and could be between 990 and 1,650 Palestinian prisoners including men, women and children.
* Hamas will release the hostages in a period of six weeks, at least three hostages are released per week and the remaining 33 before the end of the period. All the living captives will be released first, followed by the remains of the dead captives.
* The implementation of the agreement will be confirmed by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
* Negotiations for the second phase of the agreement will begin on the 16th day of the first phase and are expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, including male Israeli soldiers, the permanent cessation and complete withdrawal of Israeli troops.
* The third phase is expected to include the return of all the remaining bodies and the start of the reconstruction of Gaza, under the supervision of Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.