Ibrahim Khazen
19 January 2025•Update: 20 January 2025
CAIRO
Egypt officially announced Saturday evening the establishment of a joint operations room to monitor the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, facilitate the entry of aid into the strip, and oversee the movement of people.
The announcement was made in a statement issued by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry a day after Cairo hosted an international meeting to follow up on the agreement reached on Wednesday.
The statement read: “Cairo announces the success of the arduous Egyptian efforts exerted since the start of the Gaza crisis on Oct. 7, 2023, in cooperation with our regional and international partners, to reach a ceasefire agreement.”
It emphasized Egypt’s commitment to coordinating with its partners Qatar and the US to ensure the agreement's stability and full implementation by establishing a joint operations room.
The ministry clarified that the operations room, which is based in Egypt, will monitor the exchange of hostages and prisoners, the entry of humanitarian aid, and the movement of people following the reopening of the Rafah crossing.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated that the agreement will go into effect on Sunday at 8.30 a.m. local time (0630GMT).
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry further highlighted that the agreement ensures “the commitment of mediators to implement all three phases within the agreed-upon timelines, aiming to end the humanitarian tragedy endured by Gaza’s residents for over a year.”
Cairo expressed gratitude to Qatar “for its fruitful and continuous cooperation in achieving the ceasefire agreement. “
It also commended the “pivotal role” played by the administrations of US President-elect Donald Trump and President Joe Biden in resolving the crisis.
Qatar announced a three-phase ceasefire agreement on Wednesday to end more than 15 months of deadly Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, with the ceasefire set to take effect at 8.30 a.m. local time (0630GMT) on Sunday.
Nearly 47,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed and more than 110,700 injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala
