Today's Edition
ABDULLAH ABU DAIF (CAIRO)
Diplomatic efforts have successfully led to a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after approximately 50 days of military escalation. The primary objective of the ceasefire is to exchange prisoners between the Israeli and Palestinian sides and to provide safe corridors for the evacuation of civilians from conflict areas, in addition to allowing more fuel and relief trucks into the sector.
Mahmoud Al-Habbash, the adviser to the Palestinian President, said that the Palestinian leadership welcomes any action that would spare Palestinian blood, noting that the leadership is fundamentally opposed to war and consistently works to stop comprehensive aggression against the Palestinian people. He added that the leadership favours peaceful solutions to achieve Palestinian self-determination.
The Palestinian President’s adviser told Aletihad that the Palestinian leadership has the moral, religious, and political responsibility to protect its people from any risks, especially those arising from the Israeli occupation. Therefore, they welcome the ceasefire agreement and consider it a step in the right direction for establishing a complete and comprehensive ceasefire.
They hope that this move will lead to joint international action to implement the two-state solution and end the Israeli occupation in accordance with international law and United Nations resolutions.
Amin Shouman, Head of the Higher Committee for the Affairs of Prisoners and Released Prisoners, praised the prominent Emirati role in fighting for peace in the region. He also welcomed the UAE’s decision to establish a field hospital in Rafah for the injured.
Shouman mentioned that the efforts resulted in the exchange of approximately 50 Israeli children and women prisoners in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of 150 children and women under the age of 18 from Israeli prisons.
Shouman told Aletihad that the ceasefire is an opportunity for everyone to catch their breath and work towards a permanent ceasefire, calling for a complete humanitarian perspective on the issue of prisoners and hostages instead of a political or military stance. He noted that this approach is crucial, as many of the prisoners are innocent children who cannot be military targets.
According to the agreement, the exchange of prisoners and hostages will take place over four full days. It will culminate with a complete ceasefire on the fifth day to enable more communication and negotiations for a longer ceasefire. This is contingent on the number of prisoners and hostages that will be exchanged by the various parties on the ground, with the ultimate goal of reaching a permanent ceasefire.
Kazem Abu-Khalaf, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) spokesperson, said that all efforts following the civilians’ best interest should be supported to alleviate their suffering and to bring in more aid during the upcoming period. He pointed out that the ceasefire will allow for more movement across the Gaza Strip to aid civilians.
The UNRWA spokesman told Aletihad that 108 agency workers in the Gaza Strip died during the war, adding that UNRWA will work on setting the main requirements. He added that the agency will ask for more humanitarian aid during the ceasefire and search for more survivors.
The ceasefire will allow UNRWA and various relief organisations to inform the world about current situation in the Gaza Strip, especially since many places within the sector were inaccessible for the relief teams, he explained.
