Israel and Hamas reached an agreement to stop the war in Gaza and release the remaining hostages.
The ceasefire, which will be implemented in several phases, comes days before Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president.
“WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT FOR HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SOON,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday. “THANKS!”
Pressure from Trump, who warned there would be “severe consequences” if the hostages were not released before his inauguration on Monday, helped give new momentum to talks that had been stalled for months.
The first phase of the agreement will involve a 42-day ceasefire, during which 33 Israeli hostages — including children, all female prisoners, the sick and the elderly — will be released in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons and a substantial increase in humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.
By the 16th day of the ceasefire, the two sides will begin negotiating the second phase of the agreement, during which the remaining hostages, including male soldiers, are expected to be released in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners.
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The second phase should also result in a permanent ceasefire and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
The final phase would involve the return of all remaining bodies and the reconstruction of Gaza, under the supervision of Egypt, Qatar and the UN.
A person close to the negotiations told the Financial Times that the ceasefire was reached after Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar, met separately with Hamas and Israeli negotiators in a final effort to reach an agreement.
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The conflict began after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, when militants from the terrorist group killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities, and kidnapped 250 more.
Israel’s retaliation resulted in the deaths of more than 46,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities, in addition to worsening the humanitarian catastrophe in the region.
