Talks between Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza after more than 15 months of devastating war, officials said on Wednesday.
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 not clear when that would begin. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the deal.
Once implemented, the ceasefire will allow the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel, after a year of war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed much of the prison population.
The deal needs to be formally ratified by the Israeli cabinet, two senior Israeli officials said. Before the deal, officials said there was a last-minute dispute over Egypt’s border with Gaza, which is held by the Israeli military.
Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, confirmed the deal, although the Palestinian militant 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 had threatened dire consequences unless Israel and Hamas reach an agreement before the inauguration on Jan. 20, some officials said they helped push the negotiations forward.
The almost uninterrupted war in Gaza has left Hamas suffering, with many of its fighters killed including its long-time leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces in September.
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. to join cabinet discussions about hostages. Hamas said in a statement on Wednesday evening that it had responded to the proposed agreement, without elaborating.
In order to implement this agreement, the Hamas delegation at the talks in Doha, Qatar, had to get the approval of the group’s leaders in Gaza, including Muhammad Sinwar, the brother of the commander who was killed by Israel in October.
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Opposition to the right: In Israel, some hard-line members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government also expressed opposition to the deal. But on Wednesday, Mr. Saar said he believes that the majority will sign the agreement when the cabinet vote comes.
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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.
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