Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement after 15 months of war, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the US, announced Qatar and US mediators. The agreement, which will enter into force on Sunday if approved by the Israeli government, aims to halt hostilities, provide humanitarian aid to Gaza and release hostages, on Thursday the 16th of January, reports the British broadcaster BBC.
The agreement was reached after 96 hours of intensive talks in Doha, US officials said.
Many Palestinians and hostages’ families rejoiced at the news, but the war in Gaza did not stop. The Hamas-run Civil Protection Agency reported that more than 20 people were killed in Israeli air strikes following the Qatari announcement.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani called for “calm” as the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire begins, in which 33 hostages will be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces will withdraw from populated areas of Gaza, displaced Palestinians will return home and daily aid deliveries will increase.
The second phase, starting on the 16th day, aims to release more hostages, achieve a full Israeli withdrawal and lasting peace. The last phase will focus on the reconstruction of Gaza and return of the remains of the remaining hostages.
The Qatari Prime Minister said that there was a “clear mechanism for negotiating the second and third phases” and that the agreements would be published “in the coming days as soon as details are finalised”.
He also said that Qatar, the US and Egypt would work together to ensure that Israel and Hamas fulfil their commitments.
“We hope that this will be the last page of the war and we hope that all parties will commit to implementing all the terms of this agreement,” he added.
US President Joe Biden said the plan was “the result of not only the extraordinary pressure on Hamas and the shifting regional balance, following the ceasefire in Lebanon and the weakening of Iran, but also the result of persistent and careful US diplomacy”.
In a later press conference, Biden also acknowledged that he had been helped by President-elect Donald Trump, who had pressed both sides for the release of the hostages before his inauguration on Monday.
Trump was the first to confirm the agreement, ahead of the official announcement by the White House and Qatar.
In a subsequent social media post, he tried to take credit for the “epic” agreement, saying it “could only have happened because of our historic victory in November”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the final details of the deal were still being worked out. His office in a statement thanked Trump “for helping to facilitate the release of the hostages” and Biden for “facilitating” the plan.
“The Prime Minister made clear that he is committed to the return of all hostages by any means necessary,” the statement said, before saying that Netanyahu’s official statement “will be published once the final details of the deal have been finalised”.
The Israeli government is expected to approve the deal, possibly as early as Thursday morning, despite opposition from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners.
Hamas’ chief negotiator and acting Gaza Strip chief, Khalil al-Hayya, said the agreement was the result of Palestinian “resilience” and was “a milestone in the conflict with the enemy, on the path to achieving our people’s goals of liberation and return”.
He added that the group would now seek to “rebuild Gaza, soothe the pain and heal the wounds”, warning that “we will not forget or forgive” the suffering inflicted on the Palestinians.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that “the priority now must be to alleviate the enormous suffering caused by this conflict”.
Israel launched the campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on the 7th of October 2023, in which some 1 200 people were killed and another 251 were taken hostage.
According to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, more than 46 700 people have been killed in Gaza since then. Most of the 2.3 million inhabitants have also been displaced, the area has been devastated and there are severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.
Israel claims that 94 hostages are still being held by Hamas, 34 of whom are believed to be dead.