Negotiators from Israel and Hamas have agreed to a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, President Biden and other officials announced on Wednesday, raising hopes that there could soon be an end to more than a year of war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed much of the enclave.
Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani of Qatar, a mediating country, announced on Wednesday evening that the cease-fire was set to take effect on Sunday. He added, though, that both sides were still working on concluding up some of the logistical matters.
The agreement needs to be formally ratified by the Israeli cabinet and the government, two senior Israeli officials said. The office of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said in a statement that a number of details in the agreement remained unresolved, but that it was hoped that they would be worked out on Wednesday night.
The cease-fire would take effect immediately if finalized, according to a White House official. Its first phase would last six weeks, and hostages would start being released during that phase. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the deal.
If implemented, the cease-fire would allow for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. About 100 hostages are thought to still be in Gaza, although the Israeli authorities believe around 35 of those people are dead.
Basem Naim, a Hamas official, confirmed the agreement, although the Palestinian militant group had yet to release a formal statement.
President-elect Donald J. Trump also announced that a hostage deal had been reached, writing on social media that “THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY.” Mr. Trump had threatened severe consequences unless Israel and Hamas reached an agreement before his Jan. 20 inauguration, which some officials credited with helping to advance the negotiations.
The nearly uninterrupted fighting in Gaza has left Hamas severely battered, with many of its military commanders killed, including its longtime leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces last fall.
Neither Israel nor Hamas had publicly endorsed the agreement, but the Palestinian group said on Tuesday that the negotiations had entered their “final stages,” and Israel’s foreign minister said on Wednesday evening that he was returning early from a trip abroad to join cabinet discussions about the hostages.
In the run-up to the deal, officials said there was last-minute wrangling over the Egypt-Gaza border, which Israeli forces currently control.
In order to implement the deal, Hamas’s negotiating team at the talks in Doha, Qatar, had to obtain the consent of the group’s commanders in Gaza, including Muhammad Sinwar, the brother of the commander killed by Israel.
Here’s what else to know:
-
What’s in the deal: The cease-fire deal in Gaza is broadly similar to a three-phase framework publicized by President Biden in late May, according to several officials familiar with the talks. Under that May proposal, Israel and Hamas would first observe a six-week cease-fire in which Hamas would release women, older men, and ill hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinians jailed by Israel, and 600 trucks carrying humanitarian relief would enter Gaza daily.
-
Right-wing opposition: In Israel, some hard-line members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government have also voiced opposition to the deal. But on Wednesday, Mr. Saar said he believed that a majority would sign off on an agreement if it came to a cabinet vote.
-
Hostage talks: The deal on the table comes after months of shuttle diplomacy to end the war in Gaza, which began when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage. Since Israel began its military campaign in response to the October 2023 attack, at least 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to health officials there.
Abu Bakr Bashir and Gabby Sobelman contributed reporting.
Credit: Source link
