Inside the Gaza ceasefire: How prisoners will be exchanged and aid delivered

While the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip officially began on Thursday, Israeli forces have continued to violate it, launching various attacks on Gaza residents. The document obtained by Al Jazeera details the steps for enforcing the U.S. president’s plan to halt the war.

Prisoner exchange mechanism

According to the document, the plan stipulates that hostilities will cease within 72 hours following an agreement between Israel and Hamas. Immediately after a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, Hamas will provide information about the Israeli captives.

During this 72-hour period, Hamas is to release all living Israeli prisoners held by various resistance factions in Gaza, as well as return the bodies of deceased Israeli captives.

In exchange, Israel will share information on Palestinian prisoners held in its jails.

The plan emphasizes that Hamas must carry out the exchange quietly, without public ceremonies or media activity. All living Israeli captives are to be handed over between Sunday and Monday from 6 a.m. onward, along with as many of the deceased bodies as possible.

The document further highlights the need for coordination through an operations room to set exact handover times and resolve any logistical issues. It also establishes a communication mechanism between mediators and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for exchanging information on both Israeli and Palestinian detainees.

Regarding the Palestinian prisoners, the plan specifies that an Egyptian delegation accompanied by ICRC officials will visit Ofer and Ketziot prisons to confirm the identities of those slated for release.

Aid delivery and distribution mechanisms

The document also outlines the procedures for bringing humanitarian aid into Gaza. The United Nations agencies and other organizations will handle the receipt and distribution of aid, following the same framework as the January 19 ceasefire agreement.

Under the plan, aid convoys will enter Gaza immediately after the agreement’s signing, with at least 600 trucks per day—and no fewer than 4,200 trucks weekly.

The shipments will include humanitarian supplies and goods for the private sector, along with 50 trucks carrying fuel and gas. The Rafah crossing will operate in both directions under the January 19, 2025 terms, prioritizing food, medical supplies, and shelter materials in the initial phase.

The plan also guarantees free movement of trucks from northern to southern Gaza via Al-Rashid and Salah al-Din roads.

Additionally, it calls for the entry of debris-clearing equipment with clearly defined roles, the expansion of displacement camps, and efforts to restore Gaza’s power plant through a new fuel supply mechanism.

Reconstruction work is also to begin on water and sewage networks, hospitals, bakeries, and main roads across the strip.