Context: 

Hamas has agreed to a draft ceasefire deal aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza and for the release of Israeli hostages.

More on the News: 

• The United States, Egypt, and Qatar have been working together to mediate to stop the ongoing war which started in October 2023, following a Hamas attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis.
• The plan would need to be submitted to the Israeli Cabinet for final approval.

Israel-Palestine conflict:

• The Israeli-Palestinian conflict dates back to the end of the nineteenth century. 
• In 1947, the United Nations adopted Resolution 181, known as the Partition Plan, which sought to divide the British Mandate of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. 
• On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was created, sparking the first Arab-Israeli War. 
• The war ended in 1949 with Israel’s victory, and the territory was divided into 3 parts: the State of Israel, the West Bank (of the Jordan River), and the Gaza Strip.
• Israel now occupies the West Bank and Gaza Strip, territories claimed by the Palestinian state.
• Several agreements were signed (but failed) to normalize relations but the deadlock between Israel and Palestine remains unresolved.

About the Draft Agreement:

The agreement is a three-phase plan based on a framework by US President Joe Biden and supported by the UN Security Council.

• Phase 1: Over six weeks, 33 hostages will be released gradually in exchange for Palestinian women and children held by Israel. During this 42-day phase, Israeli forces will also pull back from populated areas.
• Phase 2: Hamas will release the remaining captives, mainly male soldiers, in exchange for more prisoners and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

• Phase 3: The bodies of the remaining hostages will be sent back, and in return, a rebuilding plan for Gaza will take place which will last three to five years with international supervision.

Challenges to the Ceasefire Deal:

• Hamas has stated it will not release the remaining hostages unless the war ends completely and Israeli forces fully withdraw from Gaza. 
• There is strong opposition within Israel to any deal with Hamas. 
• Israel’s demand for the "destruction of Hamas" as part of any resolution is a condition Hamas is unlikely to agree to.