Gaza to receive aid as Qatar announces deal between Israel, Hamas

Israel and Hamas have achieved an agreement that will permit the delivery of medical supplies to Israeli prisoners detained in the Gaza Strip and the transportation of humanitarian items to citizens of the beleaguered Palestinian region. In exchange for the provision of medicine to Israeli captives detained by Hamas, the organization in charge of governing Gaza, the agreement calls for the distribution of humanitarian aid to residents of “the most affected and vulnerable areas” in Gaza, according to a statement released by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday. According to Majed al-Ansari the spokesman for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, supplies and medicine are scheduled to depart Doha on Wednesday for El Arish, Egypt, in order to be transported to the Gaza Strip. He said that Qatar worked with France to mediate the accord. The relatives of some of the Israeli prisoners had originally proposed the proposal, according to Philippe Lalliot, head of France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Crisis Centre, which coordinates relief efforts. Negotiations had been ongoing for weeks, he said. Each of the 45 prisoners would receive customized medical packages produced in France that would last for several months. Ground coordination will be handled by the International Committee of the Red Cross. According to an Al Jazeera count based on official numbers, during Hamas’ raid on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in at least 1,139 deaths, the organization took roughly 240 individuals hostage. Israel unleashed a catastrophic bombardment, siege, and ground invasion of Gaza in retaliation. Palestinian officials claim that the Israeli attack has claimed the lives of over 24,000 individuals. A week-long truce in late November saw the release of over 100 prisoners after protracted talks brokered by the US and Qatar. Israel freed hundreds of Palestinian detainees from their confines in return. The US Middle East Envoy, Brett McGurk, was in Doha recently, the White House confirmed earlier on Tuesday, to discuss potential negotiations for the release of hostages.