Israel and Hamas have agreed to a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage release following meetings in Doha on Wednesday.
The deal was reached after months of negotiations by the Biden administration.
A Phased Deal
Negotiators reached a phased deal to end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, the U.S. and Qatar said, after 15 months of bloodshed.
Announcement By Qatari PM And U.S. President
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said that the agreement would come into effect on Sunday so long as it gets approval from the Israeli cabinet.
U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed that the ceasefire and hostage deal would end the fighting in Gaza, surge much needed-humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity”.
Close Coordination With The Incoming Trump Administration
He added that the deal was reached by working alongside the incoming Donald Trump administration.
“I can announce a ceasefire and a hostage deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas,” Biden said at the White House.
“The deal was reached after 15 months of suffering”, he said,
The deal emerged at the end of an intense 96 hours of negotiations in Doha brokered by U.S., Egyptian and Qatari diplomats who persuaded Israel and Hamas finally to conclude the agreement.
End Of War
The deal would bring to a halt, a devastating 15-month war in the Gaza Strip.
The war devastated the Palestinian enclave and spread conflict across the Middle East.
What Does The Deal Promise?
The deal outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian detainees held by Israel, a separate official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters.
The agreement would allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes.
Celebrations
Thousands of Gazans celebrated today as news spread that a ceasefire and hostage release deal had been reached between Israel and Hamas.
Trump’s Repeated Warnings
The agreement between Israel and Hamas got a big push across the finish line with Trump’s repeated warnings there would be “hell to pay” in the Middle East if hostages held by the militant group were not released before his January 20 inauguration, according to sources familiar with the matter.
How Did The Deal Pick Pace?
The deal, after months of on-off negotiations, gained momentum after Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia agreed to a ceasefire in November, and negotiations reached a boiling point over the last 96 hours, the administration official said.
Main Obstacle
A central obstacle was Hamas’ refusal to acknowledge how many hostages it was holding or who among the hostages would be released in the first phase of the deal.
The hostages were among the group seized by Hamas during the militant group’s assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, when the gunmen also killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.
“That was the main issue just before Christmas time and we kept the pressure on Hamas and made clear there would not be a deal under any circumstance unless Hamas produced and agreed with the full list of hostages that would come out in the deal,” the U.S. official said.
In December end, Hamas agreed to the list of hostages, which accelerated the final phase toward reaching a deal to free hostages in exchange for the release of some Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Envoys Of Biden And Trump
Leading the U.S. side was President Joe Biden’s Middle East envoy, Brett McGurk, who had been in the region since January 5.
The official said that he was working closely on what the official called a “very complex arrangement.”
Trump’s envoy, Witkoff joined him later.
Witkoff’s involvement with McGurk in the final phase of the talks was a “fruitful partnership between the two of them to help nail down some of the final arrangements and bring them to a conclusion,” said the official.
Witkoff, a real estate investor close to Trump, also visited Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and was able to influence him.
Main Points
The main points included terms of the ceasefire, the sequencing of the release of hostages, the number of Palestinian prisoners Israel would release in exchange and future humanitarian aid to Gaza, the official said.
Intense Negotiations
That phase of the negotiations became very intense.
Implementation
The U.S. now hopes implementation can begin as soon as Sunday, the official said.
The agreement also requires 600 truckloads of humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza every day of the ceasefire, the official said.
Israel’s air and ground war in Gaza has killed more than 46,000 people, according to Gaza health ministry figures, with hundreds of thousands facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
Several world leaders have hailed the deal.
U.S. President-elect was prompt in putting out a post on the ceasefire deal.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump
“We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They
will be released shortly. Thank you!” he said in a post on his
Truth Social platform.
“With this deal in place, my National Security team, through
the efforts of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff,
will continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make
sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven,” Trump
said in a second post.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi welcomed the Gaza ceasefire deal and stressed the importance of a fast delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
Fidan told reporters in Ankara the ceasefire deal was an
important step for regional stability.
He also said that Turkish efforts for a two-State solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would continue.
Jordan
Jordan has also welcomed the ceasefire deal and affirmed need for joint efforts to consolidate it.
Australian Prime Minister
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the ceasefire announcement and hostage agreement.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday described a ceasefire deal ending the war in Gaza as “long overdue” and said focus should turn to humanitarian aid and securing a better longer term future in the region.
“After months of devastating bloodshed and countless lives lost, this is the long-overdue news that the Israeli and Palestinian people have desperately been waiting for,” Starmer said in an emailed statement.
Alexander De Croo, Belgium’s Prime Minister
“After too many months of conflict, we feel tremendous
relief for the hostages, for their families and for the people
of Gaza.
Let’s hope this ceasefire will put an end to the fighting
and mark the beginning of a sustained peace. Belgium stands
ready to help.”
French President Emmanuel Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that the Israeli hostages must be freed and a political solution must be found.
EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica
EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica on Wednesday hailed a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, saying the bloc remains committed to supporting all efforts towards a long-lasting peace.
ICRC
The ICRC has said that it is ready to help implement agreement reached by the parties and bring hostages and detainees home.
It has also agreed to massively scale up its humanitarian response in Gaza.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has also welcomed the Gaza deal
