The United States, Qatar, and Egypt issued a joint statement on Thursday, August 8, 2024, demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The countries demand that Israel and Hamas immediately comply with the agreement presented in May, which sets the end of the conflict in three phases.
The initial meeting to negotiate the agreement is scheduled to take place next week, on August 15. The location has not yet been defined, but it is expected to be in Egypt or Qatar, with Israel confirmed to be present. The extremist group has not yet responded to the invitation.
“It is time to bring immediate relief to both the suffering people of Gaza and the suffering hostages and their families,” the statement said. “The time has come to conclude the ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages and detainees.”
Under the agreement presented in May, the agreement would begin with a full six-week ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the enclave’s urban area. Israel would also be required to release Palestinian prisoners, and Hamas would return some of its hostages still alive.
In response, the second phase would see the extremist group release all of its remaining hostages and the total withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces from Gaza.
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In the third and final phase of the conflict, Hamas would return the bodies of the dead hostages, and the enclave would be rebuilt with the help of Arab countries. The group would also be prevented from carrying weapons.
The conflict in Gaza began in October 2023 and has already resulted in the deaths of 41,402 people, according to Al Jazeera (the state broadcaster of the Qatari monarchy). There are 1,139 deaths on the Israeli side and 40,263 on the Palestinian side.
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