Israel and Hamas begin temporary ceasefire deal

A ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli government comes into effect today with the exchange of hostages and the return of Gazans to their homes. 

After tense delays, the deal will see 33 hostages held by Hamas exchanged for approximately 100 Palestinian prisoners who were kept in Israeli jails during the conflict. 

Palestinians will also be able to return to their homes as Israeli troops withdraw from populated areas of Gaza and aid trucks are allowed in. 

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “After months of devastating bloodshed and countless lives lost, this is the long-overdue news that the Israeli and Palestinian people have desperately been waiting for.”

The war erupted after Hamas, the Palestinian militant group governing Gaza, attacked Israel on October 7th 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. 

Gazan health ministries say that over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed due to the conflict, approximately half of whom were women, children and elderly.  

The Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine Society (EUJPS) has led many on-campus protests, calling on the university to divest from companies that support Israel.

The society previously pressured the University by arranging encampments on the Old College lawn, blocking university entrances, and organizing protests on campus. 

A number of other student activist groups, such as UOE Amnesty Society, has endorsed them.

UOE Amnesty Society said: “This is a moment of relief for Gazans, who have endured unimaginable horrors, if Israel follows through, that is.

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“However, this is only the beginning. A temporary suspension of hostilities comes tragically too late for over 100,000 Gazans. The international community – especially us given the role our University plays – must do everything in its power to fight against occupation, apartheid, the illegal blockade, and to hold those responsible, on all fronts, accountable.

“A ceasefire cannot be an excuse for complacency. Institutions like Edinburgh University must take a stand, including the long overdue severance of academic ties with those complicit in these injustices.”

The ceasefire is temporary, and there is little certainty about what the deal means in the long run.

Israeli ministers were meant to vote to ratify the deal on Thursday, but voting was delayed until Friday due to disagreements between the Israeli government and Hamas, and within Israel’s own cabinet.

Despite the deal having the Israeli Security Council’s approval, Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has still reserved the right to return to full-scale war if necessary.

In a statement to the press, he said: “If we need to resume fighting, we will do that in new ways and we will do it with great force.”

The deal will occur across three phases, and be negotiated continuously as the war slows down. Currently, civilians in Khan Younis and Tel Aviv are celebrating, hoping that the ceasefire will help end the conflict entirely.

Edinburgh University Jewish Society and EUJPS were approached for comment.

The University of Edinburgh declined to comment.