The ceasefire agreement in Gaza has been officially reached and will be implemented in three stages

According to Reuters, an informed official stated that Israel and Hamas have formally reached a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which will take effect on January 19. The agreement outlines a preliminary six-week ceasefire phase, which includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from central Gaza and arrangements for displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza. During this stage, Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages, including all women (including soldiers and civilians), children, and men over 50 years old. The Israeli side stated that before the end of the first phase, it would release all Palestinian women and children under 19 who had been detained since October 7th, 2023. Negotiations about the second phase of the agreement will start on day sixteen after the beginning of the first phase; expected contents include releasing all remaining hostages covering male Israeli soldiers reaching a permanent ceasefire as well as complete withdrawal of Israeli troops. The third stage is expected to include returning all remaining bodies along with starting reconstruction work in Gaza under supervision from Egypt, Qatar and United Nations.