Gaza ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas
The announcement comes after months of fruitless negotiations and just days before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
WASHINGTON — A deal to end the 15-month war in the Gaza Strip and release the hostages has been reached, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday. The agreement will take effect on Jan. 19.
"At long last, I can announce a ceasefire and hostage deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas,” Biden said in remarks from the White House.
“I'm proud to say Americans will be part of that hostage release in phase one,” Biden added. “The vice president and I cannot wait to welcome them home.”
Indirect talks over a deal resumed in the Qatari capital of Doha earlier this month, with Arab and American mediators hammering out the details of which hostages were to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
Basem Naim, a spokesperson for Hamas, confirmed to Al-Monitor earlier on Wednesday that the group had accepted the final draft of the deal and submitted its response to negotiators Egypt and Qatar.
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stopped short of confirming the news, writing in a statement Wednesday evening local time that “several items in the framework have yet to be finalized; we hope that the details will be finalized tonight.”
Once implemented, the three-phase deal would see Hamas free 33 hostages in return for Israel’s release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners over an initial 42-day pause in the fighting.
Israeli forces would also begin their phased withdrawal from Gaza, Palestinian civilians would return to their homes in northern Gaza, and there would be a surge in humanitarian assistance to the war-torn territory during the first phase of the deal.
According to Arab and Israeli officials, Hamas would release the remaining male hostages and the Israeli military would fully withdraw from Gaza during the deal’s second phase. The third phase would include the return of deceased hostages.
Fewer than 100 hostages remain in Gaza, including seven Americans, out of the 251 captured on Oct. 7. At least a third of them are presumed dead.
More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 15-month war, according to local health officials — roughly 2% of Gaza’s prewar population of about 2.3 million. A majority of the dead are women and children.
President-elect Donald Trump took credit for the agreement on his social media platform, Truth Social, and said the hostages “will be released shortly.”
“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November,” Trump wrote, pledging to ensure “Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven.”
Without specifying the consequences, Trump vowed repeatedly since early December there would be “hell to pay” for Hamas if it doesn’t release the hostages before he takes office on Jan. 20. Last week, Trump dispatched his incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to coordinate with negotiators in Qatar and Israel.
Both Israel’s security cabinet and government must still ratify the ceasefire agreement for it to take effect. Israeli broadcaster Kan reported that the security cabinet will convene at 11 a.m. Thursday.
This developing story has been updated since initial publication. Megan Mineiro and Jared Szuba contributed to this report.
