A tale of two ceasefires: What changes, what remains the same

Israel and the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas have agreed on a ceasefire in Gaza, potentially bringing an end to Israel's devastating 15-month assault on the enclave that killed nearly 47,000 Palestinians.

This ceasefire largely mirrors the May 2024 agreement but introduces nuanced refinements to logistics and humanitarian protocols.

Many have questioned the protracted negotiations, given the striking similarities to the earlier deal. Key elements remain unchanged.

What’s common?

Both the May 2024 and January 2025 ceasefire agreements between Israel and Hamas centre on the exchange of hostages and prisoners, with an emphasis on vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the elderly.

Both the May 2024 and January 2025 agreements are structured into three 42-day phases.

Both agreements prioritise humanitarian aid to Gaza, underscoring the urgent need for food, medical supplies, and fuel to address what experts describe as catastrophic conditions.

The phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from densely populated areas is a key provision in both deals, aimed at deescalating hostilities.

Reconstruction and rehabilitation are also central, with plans to rebuild homes, schools, and hospitals in Gaza.

Both agreements reflect an urgent need to rebuild Gaza’s devastated infrastructure—homes, schools, and hospitals—which is central to the truce, with international actors such as Egypt, Qatar, and the UN leading the reconstruction process.

The scale of destruction underscores the challenge: over 42 million tonnes of debris, according to United Nations, including shattered structures and flattened buildings, litter Gaza.

These commitments reflect a shared focus on mitigating the humanitarian crisis and fostering long-term stability.

What’s different?

While many core principles remain the same, the January 2025 agreement incorporates refinements and adjustments, particularly around logistics, and humanitarian protocols.

Troop deployment

The January 2025 agreement introduces refinements to troop deployments and prisoner exchanges, adding specificity to previously broad terms.

Israeli troops will maintain a 700-meter perimeter around Gaza, with exceptions at five points extending by up to 400 meters, and redeployment will occur around the Rafah Crossing based on agreed maps.

A more detailed framework governs troop reductions in the Philadelphi Corridor, stipulating a phased withdrawal beginning on day 42, after the final hostage release, and concluding by day 50.

Explicit prisoner exchange terms

While the May 2024 agreement established general categories with Hamas agreeing to release 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, elderly, and ill civilians, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The January 2025 deal sets precise ratios.

Nine ill Israeli hostages will be exchanged for 110 Palestinian prisoners with life sentences.

Israel will release 1,000 Palestinian detainees from before October 2023 who were not implicated in the October 7 attack.

The elderly Israeli hostages will be traded at a ratio of 1:3 for life sentences and 1:27 for other sentences.

Specific individuals, such as Ebra Mangesto and Hesham el-Sayed, are included in separate ratios.

Notably, timelines for troop reductions in sensitive areas like the Philadelphi Corridor are now explicitly outlined, reflecting incremental progress toward a more structured truce.

Detailed troop reduction plans

The January agreement introduces specific timelines and conditions for Israeli troop reductions in the sensitive Philadelphi Corridor, a significant departure from the general approach in May.

By incorporating detailed timelines and conditions, the January agreement attempts to mitigate logistical ambiguities, paving the way for a more structured implementation of the ceasefire.

According to the plan, Israeli forces will gradually withdraw from the area starting on day 42, following the final hostage release of stage one. The withdrawal will be completed by day 50, based on the agreed-upon maps and conditions set by both sides.