Egypt says it has established a monitoring center for the implementation of the Gaza agreement

A center to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip will start operating in Cairo. This was reported on January 17 on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt.

They noted that the issue was raised during a telephone conversation between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ata and his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdel Rahman Al-Thani. The diplomats praised the efforts of the two countries that resulted in the agreement.

"The two ministers emphasized the importance of the parties to implement the agreement without delay. They also discussed the launching of a central monitoring mechanism in Cairo to monitor the implementation of the agreement," the ministry pointed out.

Cease-fire: How the agreement between Israel and Hamas will change the situation in the Middle East

In the first phase, 33 captives are to be released - will this be a step towards a settlement

The Gaza ceasefire agreement was announced on January 15. The next day, the Defense Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began preparations for the implementation of the agreement. In particular, the State Defense Ministry's Checkpoints Directorate and the Design Department will be involved in the implementation of the deal in order to speed up logistics.

Also on Friday, January 17, The Jerusalem Post reported that in the first stage, in exchange for 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages - children, women (including military), men over 50 and "humanitarian hostages." In addition, representatives of the Palestinian movement and Israel signed the final version of the deal in the Qatari capital Doha.

The situation in the Middle East escalated on the morning of October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian radical movement Hamas subjected the territory of Israel to a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. On the same day, Israel began retaliatory strikes.