Israel and Hamas agree to ceasefire

[Anchor]

Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas have reached a sudden agreement for a ceasefire.

The war began in October 2023 when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel.

More than 1,200 lives were lost, and over 250 people were taken hostage.

Israel immediately retaliated.

During the 15-month war, over 46,000 people died in the Gaza Strip, and buildings and streets were devastated.

Hezbollah from Lebanon, the Houthi rebels from Yemen, and even Iran attacked Israel, claiming to support Hamas, raising fears of an escalation.

With the long-awaited news of the ceasefire, residents of the Gaza Strip and Israeli citizens took to the streets to celebrate peace.

However, the convening of the Israeli cabinet meeting, the final step of the agreement, has been postponed, becoming a last-minute uncertainty.

This is a report by correspondent An Da-young.

[Report]

The Gaza Strip, which was filled with gunfire, has shifted to a festive atmosphere.

[Kamis Alashi/Gaza Strip resident: "I don't know how to express this feeling. It's a mix of sadness for those we've lost and complex emotions."]

In Tel Aviv, families of hostages taken by Hamas embrace each other.

[Ipart Calderon/Hostage family: "It's not joy. It's a bit of relief. But it's going to be a huge relief."]

The ceasefire will be implemented gradually in three phases over six weeks.

In the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages, including women and children, and in the second phase, all remaining hostages will be freed.

In return, Israel will release over a thousand Palestinian prisoners and completely withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip.

By the final third phase, discussions on a permanent ceasefire will take place, and the reconstruction process for the Gaza Strip will begin.

During the ceasefire period, 600 truckloads of relief supplies will be brought into the Gaza Strip daily.

Both sides have shown differences over issues such as the submission of hostage lists and the presence of Israeli troops, but they found common ground just five days before the inauguration of the Trump administration.

U.S. President-elect Trump has threatened Hamas that they will face hellfire if they do not release the hostages.

The ceasefire agreement is set to take effect this Sunday.

However, it must go through the final approval process of the Israeli cabinet, which is currently experiencing last-minute difficulties as Israel has postponed the scheduled cabinet meeting.

This is An Da-young from KBS News in Paris.