DOHA/JERUSALEM/GAZA, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday.
The agreement includes an initial 42-day phase during which more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza will halt. The Israeli military will withdraw from populated areas to the outskirts of Gaza, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their residence in the Gaza Strip.
Humanitarian aid will flow in, with 600 trucks entering Gaza daily, including 50 carrying much-needed fuel to restore electricity in the territory, according to Israel's state-owned Kan TV news.
At a press conference, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced that Israel and Hamas had reached a deal on exchanging hostages and prisoners and establishing sustainable calm, aiming for a permanent ceasefire. Implementation of the agreement is set to begin on Sunday, Jan. 19, with Hamas releasing 33 hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners during the first phase. Details of subsequent phases will be revealed later.
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