Negotiators from Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire and hostage release in the Gaza Strip, President Biden and other officials announced Wednesday, raising hopes that the more than year-long war that has killed tens of thousands of people could soon end. Palestinians have destroyed much of their territory.
Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani of Qatar, a mediator, told reporters Wednesday evening that the ceasefire was expected to take effect Sunday. But he added that the two sides were still working to finalize some logistical issues.
Two senior Israeli officials said the agreement must be formally ratified by Israel’s cabinet and government. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that many of the details of the agreement were still unresolved but expected to be resolved by Wednesday night.
Prime Minister Al Thani said the first phase of the ceasefire agreement would see Israeli forces withdraw to the east, away from populated areas. He said 33 hostages would be released over 42 days. He did not say how many Palestinian prisoners would be released.
If implemented, the ceasefire would allow for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Israeli authorities believe about 35 of them have died, but about 100 hostages are believed to still be in Gaza.
Prime Minister Biden said in a statement, “This agreement will halt the fighting in Gaza, provide a surge of much-needed humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians, and reunite hostages held captive for more than 15 months with their families.”
Hamas confirmed the ceasefire agreement in a Telegram statement, calling it “an achievement for our people” and hailing the “legendary resilience” of Gaza’s residents in the face of war.
President-elect Donald J. Trump also announced that the hostage deal had been reached, posting on social media, “They will be released soon.” Before taking office on January 20, Trump threatened dire consequences if Israel and Hamas did not reach an agreement, which some officials acknowledged helped advance negotiations.
The nearly uninterrupted fighting in Gaza has taken a heavy toll on Hamas and killed many of its military commanders, including Gaza’s longtime leader Yahya Shinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces last fall.
Here’s what else you need to know:
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What’s the deal?: Several officials familiar with the talks said that the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip is broadly similar to the three-phase agreement that President Biden unveiled at the end of May. Under the May proposal, Israel and Hamas would first adhere to a six-week ceasefire, with Hamas freeing women, elderly and sick hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, and 600 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid. It is planned. Let’s go every day.
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Right-wing opposition party: In Israel, some hard-line members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government also spoke out against the agreement. But Prime Minister Saar on Wednesday said he believed a majority would sign the deal if it were reached in a cabinet vote.
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Hostage Story: The deal follows months of shuttle diplomacy aimed at ending the war in Gaza, where Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage. At least 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Israel began military operations in response to the attacks in October 2023, according to Israeli health authorities.
Abu Bakr Bashir and Gabby Sobelman contributed to the report.
