Israeli and Hamas negotiators have agreed to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after more than 15 months of devastating war, officials announced Wednesday.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, whose country helped broker the talks, said the agreement would result in the release of hostages and prisoners of war and return to “sustainable peace.”
He said the ceasefire would begin on Sunday, January 19 under the agreement, adding that both sides were still working to resolve some of the logistical issues.
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What does the agreement say?
The first phase of the ceasefire will last six weeks, with Israeli forces withdrawing to eastern Gaza, away from populated areas. Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the agreement, said the release of the hostages would begin at that point.
President Biden said in the first phrase of the deal that Palestinians would be able to return to all areas of the largely cleared Gaza Strip and would have access to a surge of humanitarian supplies.
Who will be released?
A ceasefire would allow the release of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. About 100 hostages are believed to still be in Gaza, but Israeli authorities believe about 35 of them have died.
Hamas leaders want to free Palestinians held by Israel.
Al-Thani said about 33 Israeli hostages would be released during the 42-day agreement, but did not say how many Palestinian prisoners would be released.
What happens next?
The deal requires formal approval by the Israeli government, two Israeli government officials said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement that many details of the deal remain unresolved but are expected to be resolved Wednesday night.
A ratification vote in Israel is scheduled for Thursday morning and is likely to test the government's cohesion as at least two hardline factions have already expressed opposition to the deal with Hamas.
Why did negotiations move forward?
The talks also gained momentum after Israel reached a separate ceasefire agreement with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which began firing rockets at Israel shortly after the Hamas-led offensive in October 2023. . Hezbollah, which has been badly hit by the escalating conflict with Israel, agreed to the deal. A ceasefire with Israel was agreed in November, contributing to the isolation of Hamas.
Some officials have suggested that the change of government in the United States, scheduled for Monday, Jan. 20, has put pressure on Israel and Hamas to accelerate decision-making after months of delays.
President-elect Donald J. Trump has warned that if he does not release the Israeli hostages by the time he takes office, he will face “hell to death.” His Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, also visited Qatar and Israel.
On Wednesday, Trump wrote on social media: “We have an agreement regarding hostages in the Middle East. It will be released soon. Thank you!”
At the press conference, President Biden appeared to acknowledge that his administration has been working with the Trump administration. He noted that although the agreement was developed and negotiated under his administration, most of its terms will be implemented by the next administration. “For the last few days we have been talking as one team,” he said.
