Hamas and Israel reach an agreement on a ceasefire

On October 7, 2023, a surprise attack by Hamas on Israel resulted in a devastating impact. Over 1,200 lives were lost, and more than 200 people were kidnapped. This attack was a grim reminder of Hamas's history of carrying out attacks against Israel, a country located in the Middle East on the Mediterranean Sea, with Jerusalem as its capital.

Hamas, a Palestinian organization that controls the Gaza Strip and follows Islamic teachings, aims to eliminate Israel and establish a Palestinian state. The organization uses violence to further its cause, a fact that has led to its label as a terrorist organization by Israel and other countries.

Israeli soldiers control who and what enters the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which is a small coastal region on the Mediterranean Sea, located between Israel and Egypt, with Gaza City as its capital. The state religion of Israel is Judaism, but Muslims and Christians also reside there.

The Gaza Strip is heavily populated, with over 2 million Palestinians living there. It's governed by Hamas and relies on food aid from abroad, as its borders are controlled by Israel and Egypt. The conflict has taken a heavy toll on the population, with tens of thousands of civilians killed and the Gaza Strip largely destroyed, leaving many people hungry.

Israel has been accused of blocking food and medicine from entering the Gaza Strip, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Since the October 2023 attack, Israel has been waging war in the Gaza Strip.

The conflict has been a source of international concern. The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have offered mediation in the conflict, facilitating indirect negotiations. Israel's opposition leader has called for restarting peace talks to reach an agreement, while the involvement of Qatar as a mediator is notable but contested by Israel.

The United Nations reports that thousands of civilians have been killed by Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip. Palestinians, an Arabic-speaking people in the Middle East who do not have their own state and live in various countries, including Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip, have lived in areas that are now part of Israel for a long time but were displaced when Jews established their own state after World War II.

Recently, there has been a glimmer of hope as Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire. The agreement stipulates that Hamas will release hostages, and Israel will release Palestinian prisoners, including those from Gaza.

The ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip continues to be a complex and sensitive issue, with profound implications for the region and the world. The hope is that the ceasefire will mark a step towards a lasting peace and a resolution to the longstanding conflict.