Previously, Israel and Hamas agreed on a ceasefire that was in effect from January 19th (the last full day of the Biden administration) to March 18th, lasting 58 days. During the ceasefire, 33 more hostages were returned home, 8 of them returning dead though (including the Bibas family). There are still 59 hostages remaining in captivity by Hamas. 35 of the remaining hostages are confirmed dead.
The ceasefire was supposed to have three phases. The first phase of that deal, which had Hamas release 25 living hostages and the bodies of eight in exchange for around 1,800 Palestinian prisoners, ended on March 1.
The second phase was set to kick in 16 days later and would have included the exchange of all the remaining hostages and the establishment of a permanent ceasefire. In phase three, the bodies of all dead hostages were to be returned, and a commitment made to rebuild Gaza.
Israel broke the ceasefire because Hamas refused to return hostages and walked away from negotiations. This led to Israel resuming bombing, resulting in the deaths of around 400 Palestinians, including top Hamas militants. Additionally, there have been sirens in Israel due to threats from Gaza and Yemen.
BiBi Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, stated on national television that the attacks on Gaza are “only the beginning”. Israel will continue to push until it achieves all of its war aims: destroying Hamas and freeing all hostages held by the militant group. It has also been stated that ‘Netanyahu has maintained that any negotiations going forward will unfold amid an assault in Gaza. ‘ . Even though this all may seem terrifying, irrational, and beyond our control, we must remember that it’s all in Hashem’s hands. We can continue to do our part by davening to Hashem and contributing in any way that we can!
By: Abby Reich (11th)
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