MBABANE: A ceasefire agreement involving the release of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners has been reached after more than a year of deadly fighting in Gaza, SkyNews reported this week.
The ceasefire will take effect on Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said.
“It follows weeks of painstaking negotiations in Doha against the backdrop of a war in Gaza that has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and many more injured and displaced from their homes.Much of the densely-populated territory has been razed to the ground as Israel launched a ground offensive following the Hamas attacks on 7 October, 2023, which left 1,200 people dead and around 250 people taken hostage”, SkyNews reported.
On another note, outgoing United States(US) President Joe Biden welcomed the ceasefire when addressing the media on Wednesday.
Israelis in Tel Aviv (left) and Palestinians in Khan Younis react as news of the ceasefire negotiations emerge. Pics: Reuters