Israel and Hamas Strike New Deal, Leave Ceasefire Hanging in Balance
The new exchange keeps the truce intact for now, but its impact remains uncertain as both sides brace for contentious second-phase talks.
Israel and Hamas reached a last-minute agreement to exchange the bodies of deceased hostages for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, preserving a fragile ceasefire just days before its critical first phase was set to expire. The breakthrough, announced late Tuesday after tense negotiations in Cairo, came as the six-week initial stage of the truce launched on January 19 neared its March 2 deadline, averting a collapse that had loomed large over the war-torn Gaza Strip.
The deal resolves a standoff that erupted when Israel delayed the release of 600 Palestinian prisoners last weekend, protesting what it called “cruel treatment” of hostages during prior handovers. Hamas countered that the delay violated the ceasefire, stalling talks for a second phase and threatening to reignite the 16-month conflict that has claimed over 47,000 Palestinian lives and 1,600 Israeli lives since October 7, 2023. Under the new terms, Hamas will return the remains of four hostages on Thursday, while Israel will simultaneously free the previously slated prisoners, many serving life sentences, along with an additional batch, totaling over 700 releases.
According to news reports, Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, who led the Cairo delegation, called the agreement a “vital step” to maintain stability, crediting mediators Egypt and Qatar for brokering the compromise. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, warned that any further deviations by Hamas, such as the recent failure to deliver Shiri Bibas’s body as promised, would exact a “heavy price,” hinting at potential military repercussions. Hamas claimed Bibas’s remains may have been misidentified among others, a statement met with skepticism in Israel.
The ceasefire’s first phase has seen 24 living hostages (16 Israeli and 8 foreign nationals) freed from Gaza, alongside over 1,500 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails. With Saturday’s release of six captives marking the last of the 33 living hostages slated for this stage, the focus now shifts to the bodies of the 35 hostages Israel believes are dead among the 94 originally taken. The new exchange keeps the truce intact for now, but its impact remains uncertain as both sides brace for contentious second-phase talks, set to begin in Doha this weekend, aiming for a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal, goals fraught with political and logistical hurdles.
In Gaza, scenes of jubilation greeted returning prisoners, while in Tel Aviv, families of the deceased hostages prepared for somber reunions. The ceasefire has allowed over 1,00,000 displaced Palestinians to return north across the Netzarim Corridor and delivered 4,000 aid trucks since January, yet Hamas alleges Israel has hindered shelter supplies, leaving millions exposed to harsh conditions. Israel denies this, pointing to logistical challenges amid Gaza’s devastation.
The truce’s survival hinges on this latest deal’s execution and the looming negotiations. Analysts warn that President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to displace Gaza’s 2 million residents- endorsed by some Israeli leaders but rejected by Palestinians - could derail progress, casting a long shadow over the ceasefire’s fragile gains. For now, the exchange offers a brief reprieve, but the path to lasting peace remains precarious.
(Pic: Demonstrators light a flare during a protest demanding the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel- AP/PTI)
