Timeline: The path to the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal in Gaza

More than 2 million Palestinians in the enclave have a chance of recovery after 15 months of a devastating war as a result of a ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

In the first six-weeks of the ceasefire agreement, Israel will release some of the Palestinian prisoners held there in exchange for Israeli prisoners who are held there. Additionally, Israel will gradually withdraw from Gaza’s borders from Israel, leading to a significant increase in humanitarian aid access.

The first phase should help to set the stage for the second and third phases, which will result in a permanent ceasefire and the release of all captives.

This most recent agreement has a long and illogical beginning. Since the war broke out on October 7, 2023, let’s take a look at how this deal has come along.

The first truce

Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day truce on November 21, 2023, following more than six weeks of fighting that had claimed thousands of lives and destroyed large portions of Gaza.

In the weeks since Hamas fighters had attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and killed 1, 200 people, the Israeli army had relentlessly bombarded Gaza with air and ground attacks, killing more than 14, 000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Additionally, the Israeli army reportedly forced 1.7 million Palestinians to flee the Strip’s southern regions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of his cabinet, which approved a truce deal after weeks of tense negotiations led by Qatar and numerous instances of a deal coming up before it failed.

Following the October 7 attack, Hamas and other Palestinian organizations took about 250 captives. As part of the November deal, 110 were freed.

Israel released more than 240 Palestinian prisoners, all of them women and children.

Netanyahu made it clear that Israel was not ending its war on Gaza and that the temporary suspension of fighting was necessary despite the extension of the seven-day truce. On December 1, 2023, Israel resumed its occupation of Gaza.

International pressure

As Israel’s war on Gaza intensified, protests broke out around the globe.

Notably, university students in the United States held campus protests and sit-ins that grabbed global attention.

As the war continued, a few European nations officially recognised the state of Palestine, including Ireland, Spain and Norway.

South Africa also filed a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which was later backed by at least 14 countries, including Belgium, Colombia, Turkiye, Egypt, Chile and Spain.

Negotiations continue

As the conflict raged on for the eighth month of May, hopes for a ceasefire grew as the negotiations raged.

Egyptian and Qatari officials worked with the Americans to reach an agreement in Cairo before Hamas’s leader, Ismail Haniyeh, announced on May 6 that his organization had accepted a proposal. In Gaza’s streets, Palestinians began to celebrate.

In exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli prisons for 42 days, the agreement stipulated that Hamas would release 33 Israeli prisoners in three stages. The Israeli army would completely leave Gaza in the second phase.

Israel, however, said it had not agreed to the terms of the ceasefire. Israel soon launched a Rafah invasion in southern Gaza.

Then, in late May, US President Joe Biden claimed Israel had consented to an “enduring ceasefire proposal.” However, Netanyahu later abandoned the strategy and continued to fight.

Lebanon war

Hezbollah and Israel began attacking one another on October 8, 2023, after the Lebanese organization declared its support for Israel in a show of support for Gaza. On September 23, 2024, Israel intensified its attacks on Lebanon, killing more than 550 people in a single day. The attack came just a few days after the notorious pager and walkie-talkie attacks, and a few days before the assassination of Hezbollah’s longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

A few days later, on October 1, 2024, Israel invaded south Lebanon.

Analyst Hamzé Attar claimed that despite the fact that the Israelis had begun to attack in Gaza in the early 2024s, the conflict lasted and Hezbollah were being attacked in Lebanon.

On November 27, Hezbollah announced a ceasefire that would allow the Lebanese Armed Forces to deploy to south Lebanon and restore its military installations north of the Litani River. Before the 60-day ceasefire period expires, Israeli troops are also required to leave south of Lebanon according to the ceasefire agreement.

Before departing, Israeli forces are still stationed in border towns, destroying homes and villages.

ICJ warrants

In November 2024, the ICJ issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israel’s former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, for committing alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Although the US rejected the decision and some officials threatened the court, many states declared they would respect the court’s decision.

Trump enters the fray

If the prisoners in Gaza were not freed before taking office, US President-elect Donald Trump announced on social media that there would be “hell to pay” for doing so. He made the demands once more in January and again in December.

Regional negotiations, including for ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, were reportedly coordinated between the Biden administration and some of the incoming officials from Trump’s new administration.

A deal is reached

After 15 months of fighting that resulted in the deaths of at least tens of thousands of Palestinians, negotiators reported arriving at a deal on January 15. More than 100 000 people died, according to some estimates.

An Israeli cabinet meeting approved the deal on Saturday, despite opposition from far-right ministers.

The ceasefire was due to begin at 8: 30am local time (06: 30GMT) on Sunday, January 19. Netanyahu said in a statement that it wouldn’t begin until Hamas gave the names of the first three Israeli prisoners who had been free shortly before this. Hass blamed “technical field reasons” for the delay in handing over the names.

After Hamas released the names, the ceasefire came into effect at 11: 15am local time (09: 15GMT)

This ceasefire will start in three phases, much like the agreement proposed in May. As Israeli forces leave Gaza, the first stage will last 42 days.

As a surge in humanitarian aid is permitted through, Israel should also withdraw from populated areas of Gaza, allowing Palestinians to live in neighboring neighborhoods. Israel has allegedly blocked Gaza’s aid for the better part of the past year according to the UN and other organizations.

US officials frequently blamed Hamas for breaking the terms of the ceasefire agreement throughout the various negotiations. However, in the run-up to the agreement, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir claimed that he had repeatedly blocked ceasefire deals over the last 15 months.

Source: Aljazeera