Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Negotiators from five different nations reached a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday. The agreement is set to last six weeks, starting with the release of hostages beginning Sunday, and would end the 15-month conflict.

The framework of the deal is similar to one President Joe Biden revealed in late May, which proposed that Hamas release women, older men and ill hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinians being held in Israel. Under the agreement, 600 trucks carrying humanitarian relief resources will enter Gaza every day, The New York Times reported.

The war sparked national outrage across college campuses last year, leading to encampments and protests at over 500 academic institutions across the United States, including Syracuse University. On SU’s campus, protesters occupied Shaw Quadrangle in tents for over two weeks, calling for the university to publicly support a ceasefire in Gaza and divest from companies with ties to the Israeli government. Before the encampment, many campus and student groups held vigils for the war last fall.

The recent deal aims to end a war that has resulted in the death of more than 46,000 Palestinians and wounded over 109,000 since Hamas’ initial attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. On the day of the attacks, Hamas launched an assault on an Israeli music festival, killing around 1,200 civilians.

Since then, about 1.9 million Palestinians and over 75,000 Israelis have been displaced. More than 92% of the roads and 69% of the structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, with an estimated $18.5 billion in damages in the first three months of the war.

The U.S., Qatar and Egypt facilitated the deal between delegations from Hamas and Israel in Doha, Qatar’s capital city. While various world leaders have publicly commented on the agreement, neither Israel’s nor Hamas’ governing bodies have acknowledged it, NPR reported.

Senator Chuck Schumer welcomed the news of the ceasefire in a Wednesday afternoon post on X.

“A ceasefire is very good news for Israel, for America, for the Palestinian people, and particularly for the hostage families who have waited so long in agony,” Schumer wrote. “A ceasefire will reduce violence in Gaza and harm to innocent civilians. It couldn’t have happened without steadfast diplomacy and until the potency of Hamas was radically reduced.”

The deal came hours before President Biden’s farewell address and days before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. While negotiators have agreed to the ceasefire, it still needs to be formally ratified by the Israeli cabinet and government, the Times reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a vote is expected Thursday morning to certify the ceasefire.

In the first phase of the ceasefire, Israeli forces will withdraw from populated areas, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told the Times. Of the estimated 100 hostages in Gaza, about 33 would be released throughout the agreement. Israeli authorities believe around 35 of the hostages in Gaza are dead.

SU campus and local community groups did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ceasefire on Wednesday afternoon.

Published on January 16, 2025 at 12:31 am

Contact Henry: hdaley@syr.edu