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Israel and Hamas have agreed to a deal to end the war in Gaza and free remaining hostages, raising hopes of an end to the bloodiest war in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The multiphase agreement was signed days before Donald Trump took office as US President. Trump’s warning of “all hell” if the hostages are not released before his inauguration on Monday has helped renew momentum in the long-running talks.
“We have a deal for hostages in the Middle East. They will be released soon,” Trump posted on his Truth social platform on Wednesday. “Thank you!”
A person close to the talks said a deal was reached after Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met separately with Hamas and Israeli negotiators in a final push for a deal.
Previous attempts to broker a deal to end the 15-month conflict and release the 98 Israeli hostages still in Gaza – not all of whom are alive – repeatedly foundered as Israel and Hamas refused to make the concessions needed to reach a deal. .
The first phase of the agreement will involve a 42-day ceasefire, during which 33 Israeli hostages – children, all female prisoners, the sick and the elderly – will be released in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and a dramatic increase in humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.
After the 16th day of the cease-fire, the two sides will begin negotiating a second phase of the deal, during which the remaining hostages, including male soldiers, will be released in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners.
The second phase also calls for a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The final phase involves the return of all remaining bodies and the reconstruction of Gaza under the supervision of Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.
The war was sparked by a Hamas shock attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, during which the militants killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials, and took another 250 hostage.
According to Palestinian officials, Israel’s devastating retaliatory attacks have killed more than 46,000 people, as well as reduced Gaza to rubble and caused a humanitarian disaster in the besieged enclave.
