CAIRO (AP) — Israeli troops have pulled back to the edges of Gaza, the first hostages have been released and many Palestinians have returned to what remains of their homes in the first few days of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal.
If it goes according to plan, there will be no fighting in Gaza for at least six weeks, and dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed, while more aid flows in.
The question is if the ceasefire will survive beyond the first phase — and an appendix to the deal provided to The Associated Press reveals some of the tensions in it.
Extending the ceasefire depends on even more negotiations meant to begin soon and eventually tackling the tough issue of how Gaza will be governed, with Israel still demanding the elimination of Hamas. Hanging over those talks is the possibility Israel could resume its campaign to destroy the militant group — even as dozens of hostages remain in its hands.
Here is a look at the plan and the major challenges ahead.
Israeli troops pull back and Palestinians return home
As part of Phase 1, Israeli troops have pulled back into a buffer zone along Gaza’s borders with Israel. According to the appendix, which AP has verified, the buffer is about 0.4 miles wide in most areas.
That has allowed displaced Palestinians to begin to return to their homes, many of which were destroyed or heavily damaged by Israel’s campaign.
But their return has been a complicated point in the negotiations. Israel long demanded it keep control over Palestinians’ movement to ensure Hamas does not move weapons back to northern Gaza close to Israeli communities.
Throughout the war, the Israeli military had barred Palestinians from returning to the north by severing Gaza along the Netzarim corridor, a belt that runs east to west across the strip where troops cleared out the Palestinian population and set up bases.
According to the appendix, Israel will start on Saturday allowing displaced Palestinians to return to the north without searches, but only on foot via the main north-south coastal road. In the coming weeks, it is supposed to open another route to foot traffic, without inspection.
A private company — the details of which are yet to be formally announced — will search Palestinians returning in vehicles to prevent military hardware from reaching the north, according to the appendix. The document says this will also start from Saturday, but it is still unclear how it will work.
The appendix was confirmed by multiple officials involved in the negotiations, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
Swapping hostages for imprisoned Palestinians
During the first phase, Hamas is set to free 33 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The first exchange took place Sunday with the release of three Israeli hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners. By the end of the 42 days, all living women, children and older people held by the militants should be freed.
