Negotiators from Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza after more than 15 months of devastating war in the region, according to a senior official in one of the mediating countries and two senior Israeli officials.
The ceasefire will go into effect immediately, according to a White House official. Its first phase will last six weeks, and hostages will begin to be released during that phase, although it was unclear when it might begin. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the deal.
The deal needs to be formally approved by the Israeli cabinet, officials said, and some technical details still need to be worked out. Two other officials said there was a last-minute dispute over Egypt’s border with Gaza, which is held by the Israeli military.
. Basem Naim, a Hamas official, also confirmed the deal, although the Palestinian terrorist group has yet to issue an official statement.
President-elect Donald J. Trump also announced that a hostage deal had been reached, posting on social media that “THEY WILL BE RELEASED SOON.” Mr. Trump has threatened dire consequences unless Israel and Hamas reach an agreement before the inauguration on Jan. 20, which some officials praised for helping to move the talks forward.
Once implemented, the ceasefire will allow for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel, after more than a year of devastating war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed much of the land where the prisoners were held.
Neither Israel nor Hamas have publicly acknowledged the deal, but the Palestinian Authority said Tuesday that talks had entered their “final stages,” and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Wednesday evening he was returning early from a trip abroad. join the cabinet discussions about the hostages. Hamas said in a statement on Wednesday evening that it had responded to the proposed agreement, without elaborating.
In order to implement the agreement, the Hamas negotiating team at the talks in Doha, Qatar, had to get the approval of the group’s leaders in Gaza, including Muhammad Sinwar, whose brother Yahya led the group before he was killed by Israel in October.
Officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive communications issue.
Here’s what you need to know:
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Discussions: The latest round of talks was held in Qatar, a key mediator, along with Egypt and the United States. Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Tuesday that the two sides had overcome major differences.
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Opposition to the right: In Israel, some hard-line members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government also expressed their opposition to the deal. But on Wednesday, Gideon Saar, who is Israel’s foreign minister, said he believes that the majority will sign the agreement when the cabinet votes.
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Hostage talks: The deal on the table comes after months of shuttle diplomacy failed to end the war in Gaza, which began after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and saw 250 kidnapped. About 105 hostages were later released during the week of November 2023 in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
Abu Bakr Bashir again Gabby Sobelman reporting contributed.