Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. The plan will see the withdrawal of Israeli troops behind an agreed-upon line and the release of the remaining hostages.

The news of the ceasefire was welcomed with relief and joy in both Gaza and Israel. Hamas and Israel have separately agreed to the deal, which appears to be the closest the two sides have come to ending the two-year genocidal war against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

The peace plan establishes the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners currently held by Israel, as well as the withdrawal of their troops from certain areas. This morning, the IDF confirmed that they have started “operational preparations” to pull back troops “ahead of the implementation of the agreement”.

The agreement also prompts a surge of aid into Gaza, as the region is experiencing “man-made starvation” caused by an aid blockade imposed by Israel. In exchange, in a matter of days, Hamas is set to release the 20 remaining Israeli hostages, who have been held since the attack on October 7, 2023.

The new peace plan was proposed by the Trump administration last month, and talks on the deal have been underway in Egypt since the start of the week. On the third day of the negotiations, the ceasefire deal emerged.

Parts of the agreement remain unclear, such as Hamas’s potential disarmament and who will govern Gaza. However, Hamas has long said that they would not release the hostages unless guarantees that the war would be permanently over were given.

In Ireland, the ceasefire deal has been welcomed by government officials. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “I welcome the announcement of a ceasefire agreement and hostage release deal in Gaza.

“I urge all sides to fully abide by this ceasefire and for the release of all hostages, and an immediate surge of humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine.

“I commend the diplomatic efforts by the US, and partners across the region and call on all sides to work towards a permanent and just peace. The war and the killing must stop.”

The news of the ceasefire comes on the same day as the publication of a major study conducted by The Lancet and led by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which estimated that over 54,600 children in Gaza are acutely malnourished, and more than 12,800 are “severely” malnourished.

The authors of the study stated that the increases in death and starvation in Gaza will continue to take place if Israel’s attacks do not cease and aid is not promptly provided to the Palestinian people.

In September, an independent UN commission concluded that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, with over 66,000 people killed since October 7, 2023. Israel’s actions in Gaza have sparked global condemnation, with protests taking place all over the world calling for an end to the devastation.