BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has been reached, ending a 15-month conflict in the Gaza Strip.
The ceasefire was announced by Qatar's Prime Minister on Wednesday and involves Israeli troops leaving the Gaza Strip. As part of the agreement, 33 Israeli prisoners will be released in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
"As you can imagine, this was really welcome news to Jewish people and to the Jewish community, and we're very hopeful," said Miriam Abramovich, CEO of the Buffalo Jewish Federation.
According to the Hamas delegation, more negotiations will be completed in stages to release the remaining hostages.
- The deal includes the release of 33 hostages by Hamas, which will begin as early as Sunday. The release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners by Israel will follow.
- The first phase will involve a 42-day ceasefire as prisoners and hostages are released and Israel withdraws from population centers.
- The U.S., Qatar, and Egyptian governments were heavily involved in peace talks over several months.
Two Americans are among those who have been held captive for 15 months.
"There's a lot of work and uncertainty ahead when the hostages are released, it's gonna be the beginning of a, a really long and critical healing process," said Abramovich.
Victoria Ross with the WNY Peace Center says this is just the first step towards healing for the people in the Gaza Strip.
"Let this be a true ceasefire and a true coming together to find solutions to these problems that are not from yesterday or from October 7th but from in the inception of 70 years ago," said Ross.
