On Jan. 15, Israel and Hamas officially reached a ceasefire and a hostage deal. This agreement will stop fighting in Gaza, allowing for humanitarian aid to residents in the area. This deal marks the end of over 15 months of conflict, with Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7 sparking the lengthy and deadly conflict.
“It is long past time for the fighting to end and the work of building peace and security to begin,” Former President Biden announced in a press statement.
It should be noted that this ceasefire is not permanent nor long-term, instead, it is a six-week period in which further negotiations occur to reach a permanent ceasefire. Israeli troops will gradually withdraw from Gaza.
“First, the firing stops. Hamas, Israel, stop firing. Israel pulls back its forces. Hostages begin to be released. Prisoners come out of Israeli jails and go back. And we surge humanitarian assistance to people who so desperately need it,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. “All of that happens during a six-week period. But also during that six weeks, we have to negotiate the understandings to get to a permanent ceasefire.”
During that six week period, Marco Rubio will replace Blinken as Secretary of State as part of the Trump administration transition. Blinken urged the Trump administration to reach a permanent ceasefire.
“It’ll be up to the [new] administration to decide whether to try to carry [our previous work] that forward, whether it has some other way of doing this. The most important thing, though, is get the ceasefire, make it permanent,” Blinken said.
Dozens of hostages held in Gaza are expected to be released. An official number of American hostages to be released has not yet been confirmed.
“President Biden and I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans and are determined that all the American hostages be returned home as part of this deal,” Former Vice President Kamala Harris said.
Before his inauguration, Trump loomed over the conflict, with a stern demand for a deal to be made and for the fighting to conclude. With a ceasefire just five days before he took office, some have noted the timing being strange — alluding to Trump’s involvement in the ceasefire.
“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
When leaving the briefing room following his statement on the ceasefire, Biden was asked whether Trump should get credit for the ceasefire deal.
“Is that a joke?” Biden asked.
There is still uncertainty as to the autonomy of the Palestinian cause amid negotiations. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict dates back more than a century and is extremely divisive. Blinken spoke out about his thoughts on the matter.
“There can’t be a permanent occupation of Gaza, that Israel has to pull out, that the territory of Gaza shouldn’t be changed. And of course, it obviously can’t be run by Hamas, who uses it as a base of terrorism,” Blinken said.
As troops temporarily withdraw, hostages return home, and Rubio steps in, a ceasefire marks a step toward ending the conflict. Tough negotiations must occur during the coming weeks.
