Egyptian-Qatari mediation efforts salvage Gaza ceasefire: Official source - Foreign Affairs

Al-Ahram Weekly

13-02-2025

Egyptian-Qatari efforts have cleared obstacles to the Gaza ceasefire, an official source told Extra News TV on Thursday.
The source stated that the efforts allowed temporary homes, tents, food supplies, and fuel to enter Gaza and that the exchange of prisoners and hostages will occur on Saturday, as planned.
Hamas triggered the ceasefire impasse by threatening to hold off releasing the next batch of captives, accusing Israel of breaching the terms of the ceasefire agreement by allowing fewer aid trucks than agreed upon to enter Gaza. The trucks, many of which carry fuel and medical supplies, are essential to operating hospitals in the strip.
In turn, Israel - supported by US President Donald Trump - threatened to resume its offensive if hostages were not released. Trump cautioned that "all hell will break loose' if every Israeli captive is not released from Gaza by Saturday noon.
Over the past day, Egyptian and Qatari mediators made significant efforts to preserve the ceasefire agreement.
A Hamas delegation, led by chief Khalil Al-Hayya, reached Cairo for discussions with Egyptian officials about the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire, stated the resistance group.
After the Cairo talks, Hamas confirmed it will uphold the Gaza ceasefire deal, including the timely exchange of hostages and prisoners with Israel.
In the first phase of the agreement, Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Thus far, the resistance group has freed 16 hostages, including five Thai nationals not part of the deal.
Al-Qahera News reported that on Thursday, trucks carrying temporary homes and heavy machinery assembled at the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, ready to enter the Gaza Strip.
The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, starting on 19 January, mandates that Israel permit the entry of 60,000 temporary homes and 200,000 tents, as well as a specified quantity of rubble removal equipment, into the strip over the initial 42-day phase.
The 15-month genocidal Israeli war decimated 92 percent of homes in Gaza, reported the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in January.
Devastation beyond imagination
According to a UN damage assessment, it could require 21 years and $1.2 billion to remove the 50 million tonnes of debris resulting from Israel's bombardment of Gaza.
Reconstructing homes in Gaza may extend until 2040 and beyond.
UN satellite data shows that two-thirds of Gaza's structures — over 170,000 buildings — have been damaged or destroyed, representing about 69 percent of the total structures.
Additionally, 245,123 housing units have been demolished, leaving over 1.8 million Gazans in need of emergency shelter.
The 15-month Israeli war also led to the widespread destruction of essential infrastructure in Gaza, including more than 200 government facilities, 136 schools and universities, 823 mosques, and three churches.
With tens of billions in arms sales from the US, Israel has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians — predominantly women and children — and injured over 111,000 others.
Moreover, thousands of Palestinians remain buried beneath the rubble.
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