Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Announces Gaza Ceasefire Deal

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani announced that the joint mediation efforts of the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States secured a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap deal between the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, His Excellency stated that the deal will take effect on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. He highlighted that according to this deal Hamas will release 33 hostages, in exchange of Palestinian prisoners, with both negotiating parties agreeing to continue working tonight to complete the implementation details.

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs extended thanks to the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States for their efforts that contributed to pushing the negotiations forward, pointing out that Qatar, Egypt and the United States will work together to ensure the implementation of the ceasefire deal. 

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani explained that the Gaza ceasefire deal stipulates the exchange of prisoners and hostages and the restoration of sustainable calm, ultimately achieving a permanent ceasefire between the two parties. The deal also includes intensifying the safe and effective entry and distribution of humanitarian aid on a large scale throughout the Gaza Strip, the rehabilitation of hospitals, health centers, and bakeries, as well as the entry of civil defense supplies and fuel, and bringing in shelter supplies for displaced persons who lost their homes due to the war.

His Excellency noted that, under this deal, Hamas will release 33 Israeli detainees in the first phase, including civilian women, female soldiers, children, the elderly, and sick and wounded civilians. In exchange, a number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons and detention centers will be released.

His Excellency added that the details of the second and third phases will be finalized during the implementation of the first phase.

The State of Qatar stresses the necessity for both parties to fully adhere to the terms of the agreement across its three phases, in order to safeguard civilian lives, spare the region from the consequences of this conflict, and lay the groundwork for a just and lasting peace, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said.

His Excellency added that the State of Qatar will continue to work closely with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States to ensure that the parties uphold their commitments and the implementation of the remaining phases. He expressed his hope for concerted regional and international efforts to provide humanitarian aid and support the United Nations in delivering assistance to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.

His Excellency emphasized that the State of Qatar will spare no effort in providing support to the afflicted families in the Gaza Strip and doing everything necessary to alleviate the suffering of its people.

Since October 8, Qatar has spared no effort, under the directives and direct follow-up of HH the Amir, to do everything possible, working day and night to reach this moment. Since the successful mediation that halted the fighting in November and secured the release of 109 hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, we have been working continuously to reach an agreement that halt the bloodshed of innocents, end the war, and restores hope for a secure future in our region, where we can once again aspire to a better tomorrow," His Excellency said.

"For 411 days, meetings have continued with our partners and the two parties to the conflict until we reached this long-awaited moment," His Excellency said, adding: "But this is just the beginning. The responsibility now rests with the parties, supported by the mediators and the international community, to navigate toward the shores of peace. This will be the focus of our efforts in the next phase." HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs extended his thanks to all regional and international partners for their support throughout the process until this deal was reached.

Addressing the bothers in the Gaza Strip, His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani affirmed that the State of Qatar will continue to support the Palestinian people with direct care and close follow-up from HH the Amir. He expressed relief at the deal achieved today and hoped it would mark the end of the war. He also emphasized his hope that all parties would fully commit to implementing the provisions of the agreement and continue the necessary procedures as stipulated.

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani reiterated that the State of Qatar will work closely with its partners to ensure the full implementation of this agreement and the restoration of sustainable calm in the Gaza Strip, affirming that Qatar will never abandon the people of Gaza. 

HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani hailed the cooperation shown by the US over the past few days that clearly manifests its commitment to reaching the deal, extending thanks to the two US envoys who played a vital role in finalizing the agreement and affirming Qatar and Egypt would remain providing support as stakeholders.

His Excellency added that Qatar would press on efforts, in collaboration with the partners, to ensure the implementation of the deal to ultimately bring the aspired peace. Yet, he elaborated that this result depends on the parties and their sincere intentions to ensure the agreement will not collapse.

To prevent any violations, added His Excellency, Qatar, Egypt and the US will agree upon a follow-up mechanism in Cairo and teams representing the three countries will monitor the implementation of the agreement. He added there would be a mechanism that reports potential violations.

His Excellency affirmed the mediators have an unwavering commitment to dealing with future issues stemming from such complicated agreements. But, His Excellency called on the parties to respect and remain committed to the deal.

Commenting on the guarantees that prevent the deal from collapsing similar to the November 2023 truce, His Excellency said the agreement in November was the beginning of building momentum towards reaching a long-term agreement, and this is what happened today.

Unlike the agreement in November which was transitional, this deal has a clear mechanism for the first 40 days up to the first and second phases, His Excellency added, elaborating that the details will be published after they are agreed upon in the coming days.

In response to a question about whether this agreement will achieve a permanent ceasefire and whether the guarantees are sufficient to ensure the Israeli side implements all the terms of the agreement, His Excellency said the best guarantee is that the two parties remain committed to the deal. Moreover, His Excellency added there will be guarantees from the deal guarantors and mediators to continue negotiations and procedures for the second stage, in which the complete withdrawal and the end of the war must be announced.

He added measures will be taken in the coming days to strengthen and fortify this agreement.

His Excellency added the parties acknowledged that the agreement requires several days to be implemented properly and to fulfill these obligations. His Excellency voiced hopes there will be no military or offensive operations in the Gaza Strip until the deal takes effect on Sunday.

His Excellency added the mediation efforts by Qatar and Egypt sought to bring viewpoints closer together and bridge the gap, stressing the all partners' collaboration as a single team over the past few days.

There were continuous meetings during the last four days with the presence of the Qatari, Egyptian and American delegations together and the presence of both sides of the conflict, His Excellency said, hoping the deal would be implemented to move on to the second stage that will end the war completely.

What the people of Gaza have experienced over 467 days of destruction, devastation and bombing deserves a permanent ceasefire, His Excellency added.

(QNA)