Gaza ceasefire deal agreed by Israel and Hamas

Under the mediation of Qatar and the United States, Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated that the agreement would take effect on Sunday if approved by the Israeli cabinet. U.S. President Joe Biden said the agreement would "stop the fighting in Gaza, provide desperately needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite hostages with their families."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the final details of the agreement were still being worked out, but he thanked Biden for "pushing" the deal. Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said it was a result of the Palestinian people’s "resilience." Many Palestinians and families of Israeli hostages celebrated the news, but the war on the ground in Gaza did not stop. Hamas-run civil defense reported that Israeli airstrikes killed more than 20 people, including 12 living in a residential building in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, after the announcement from Qatar. The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

Israel launched an operation aimed at destroying Hamas on October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and took 251 people hostage. According to data from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 46,700 people have since died in Gaza. Most of the region's 2.3 million people have also been displaced, with widespread destruction and severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine, and shelter, making it difficult to deliver aid to those in need.

Israel says Hamas is still holding 94 hostages, 34 of whom are presumed dead. In addition, four Israelis were kidnapped before the war began, two of whom have died. The Qatari Prime Minister called for "calm" from both sides before the first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement begins, which he said would see 33 hostages, including women, children, and the elderly, exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Israeli forces would also withdraw eastward from densely populated areas of Gaza, displaced Palestinians would be allowed to begin returning to their homes, and hundreds of aid trucks would be allowed into the area daily.

Negotiations for the second phase would begin on the 16th day, which should see the release of the remaining hostages, a full withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the restoration of a "sustainable calm." The third and final phase would involve the reconstruction of Gaza, which could take years, and the return of the remains of any remaining hostages. Sheikh Mohammed said that "there are clear mechanisms to negotiate the second and third phases," and the agreement would be released "in the coming days, once the details are finalized." He also said that Qatar, the U.S., and Egypt, which also helped broker the deal, would work together to ensure that Israel and Hamas fulfill their obligations. "We hope this will be the last page of the war, and we hope all parties are committed to implementing all the terms of this agreement," he added.

President Biden said that the plan, which he first proposed eight months ago, "is the result not only of immense pressure on Hamas and a change in the regional landscape after a ceasefire in Lebanon and a weakening of Iran's power, but also of the relentless and painstaking diplomatic efforts of the United States." A statement added, "Even as we welcome this news, we remember all the families of loved ones lost in Hamas' October 7 attack and the many innocent people who have died in the war that followed." "Now is the time to end the fighting and begin building peace and security." In a later press conference, Biden also acknowledged the help of President-elect Donald Trump, who had put pressure on both sides by demanding the release of hostages before he takes office on Monday.

"We've been speaking as a team for the past few days," he said, noting that much of the agreement's implementation will take place after he leaves office. Trump was the first to confirm reports that a deal had been reached, jumping ahead of the White House and Qatar to make the formal announcement. In later social media posts, he sought to take credit for the "epic" deal, saying it was "only the result of our historic victory in November."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office thanked Trump for "helping to advance the release of the hostages and helping Israel end the suffering of dozens of hostages and their families." "The Prime Minister has made it clear that he is committed to returning all the hostages by all necessary means," the statement said, before adding that he also thanked Biden. Later, the office said that Netanyahu's official statement would be released "only after the final details of the agreement are completed, which are currently being worked out." Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that the agreement would bring moments of "deep pain" and "major challenges," but that it was "the right move."

The Israeli cabinet is expected to approve the deal, possibly as early as Thursday morning, despite opposition from Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners. The Israeli government will then release the names of all the Palestinian prisoners due to be released, and any victims' families will have 48 hours to file an appeal. Some of the prisoners have been sentenced to life imprisonment for convictions of murder and terrorism. Hamas's chief negotiator and acting head in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, said that the agreement represented "a milestone in the conflict with the enemy and a step towards achieving our people's goals of liberation and return." He added that the group would now seek to "rebuild Gaza again, alleviate suffering, and heal wounds." But he also warned that "we will not forget, nor will we forgive" the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.

Celebrations broke out across Gaza as news of the deal spread. Photos showed people cheering and waving Palestinian flags in the town of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and the city of Khan Younis in the south as news of the deal emerged. Sanabel, a 17-year-old girl living in Gaza City in the north, told BBC OS: "We are all so happy." "We have waited so long," she said. "Finally, I can put my head on the pillow without worrying... it's time to heal." Nawala Najjar, whose husband was killed in an Israeli operation to rescue two hostages, said: "After the ceasefire, I want to give my children the best life." "I want them to overcome the fear we have experienced. My children are really scared. The terror has been rooted in their hearts."

Supporters of Israeli hostage families also celebrated in Tel Aviv. Sharon Lifshitz, a British-Israeli woman whose 84-year-old father, Oded, is one of the remaining hostages. Her mother, Yocheved, was also kidnapped in the October 7 attack but was released after weeks in captivity. Speaking to the BBC in London, she said she felt "a bit of sanity" when she heard the news of the deal, but admitted: "I know the chances for my father are very slim." "He is an old man, but miracles do happen. My mother did come back, and we will know one way or another. We will know if he is still with us and if we can take care of him." She warned: "There will be more graves and traumatized people coming back, but we will take care of them and bring them back to the light... may this be the beginning of good things."

Moshe Lavi, the brother-in-law of Omri Miran, a 47-year-old father of two young children, told the BBC that it was "a very complex day" for most hostage families. "We want to see our families coming home from mass captivity. But we also understand that this is a phased agreement. Only the first phase has been agreed," he said. "We will have to keep fighting, keep advocating with all the leaders of our own government to understand that they must release all the hostages." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that "the immediate priority must be to alleviate the immense suffering caused by this conflict."