Main Points Of The Hamas-Israel Armistice Proposal In Gaza: Release Of 33 Hostages To Withdrawing Soldiers

Destruction in Gaza as a result of Israeli attacks. (Twitter/@UNRWA)

JAKARTA - Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Israel have received the final draft of a ceasefire deal and exchange of hostages with detainees to end the latest 15-month conflict.

Details of the deal are planned to resume today, with the United States, Egypt, and Qatar continuing to seek an agreement before President Joe Biden leaves office to be replaced by Donald Trump next week.

"The agreement will free the hostages, stop fighting, provide security for Israel and allow us to significantly increase humanitarian aid for Palestinians who suffer greatly in the war this Hamas started," President Biden said.

Hamas has not provided any details. Meanwhile, Israeli officials at his briefing to reporters explained some of the main points of the proposal.

Regarding the release of hostages, in the first stage 33 hostages will be released, consisting of children, women, including female soldiers, men over 50, who were injured and sick. Israel believes most are still alive but have not received official confirmation from Hamas.

If the first phase goes according to plan, on the 16th day since the deal comes into effect, negotiations will begin in the second phase, in which the surviving hostages - male and male soldiers aged enough for military service - will be released and the bodies of the dead hostages will be returned.

Next, regarding troop withdrawals, will be carried out in stages, with Israeli troops remaining on the border perimeter to defend Israeli border towns and villages. In addition, there will be security arrangements in the Philadelphia Corridor, along the southern edge of Gaza, with Israel withdrawing from parts of it after the first few days of the deal.

Meanwhile, unarmed northern Gazans will be allowed back, with a mechanism to ensure no weapons are moved there.

In addition, Israeli troops will be withdrawn from the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza.

On the other hand, Palestinian militants convicted of murder or deadly attacks will also be released, but the number will depend on the number of hostages still alive, which remains unknown.

The detainees will not be released into the West Bank. Meanwhile, members of Hamas who took part in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel will not be released.

Regarding humanitarian aid, there will be a significant increase in the tang to the Gaza Strip, where international agencies including the United Nations warn its population is facing a severe humanitarian crisis.

Israel allowed aid into the enclave, but there was a dispute over the number allowed entry and the number that reached the people in need, with looting by criminal gangs becoming an increasing problem.

Finally, who will lead Gaza after the war is one of the things that is not yet known in negotiations and has not been discussed because of the complexity and possibility of hindering the deal.

Israel says Hamas cannot play any role and has rejected the involvement of the Palestinian Authority, the agency formed under Oslo's temporary peace agreement three decades ago which exercised limited sovereignty in the occupied West Bank.

Israel has also stated that since its initial operation in Gaza, it will maintain security control over the enclave after the fighting ends.

The international community has stated Gaza must be run by Palestinians, but efforts to find alternatives to major factions among civil society or clan leaders have been largely proven fruitless.

However, there has been discussions between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States regarding the interim government that will run Gaza until the reformed Palestinian Authority can take over.