US President Joe Biden speaks after negotiators reached a gradual agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, during a speech at the White House in Washington, US, on January 15, 2025.
Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters
Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on Wednesday on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, a major breakthrough in their 15-month war, which has caused destruction and stoked tensions in the region.
Speaking at the White House, President Joe Biden said the agreement would be implemented in three phases, starting Sunday, January 19.
The first phase will include “a total and complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages held by Hamas, including women, elderly and injured,” he said.
“In return, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. And during the first phase, Palestinians will also be able to return to their neighborhoods in all areas of Gaza. And massive humanitarian aid to Gaza will begin, so that innocent people can benefit from greater security.
“Over the next six weeks, Israel will negotiate the necessary arrangements to achieve phase two, which marks the final end of the war,” Biden said. “A number of details will need to be negotiated to move from phase one to phase two. But the plan is that if negotiations last more than six weeks, the ceasefire will continue.”
“When phase two begins, there will be an exchange for the release of still living hostages, including male soldiers,” Biden said. “And all remaining Israeli forces will be withdrawn from Gaza and a temporary ceasefire will become permanent.”
“And finally, in phase three, all remains of the killed hostages will be returned to their families, and a major reconstruction plan for Gaza will begin,” he said.
Israeli official briefed on talks confirmed the agreement at NBC News.
The breakthrough came just days before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20 – a date seen by many as a de facto deadline for mediation, after Trump promised there would be “the hell to pay” unless Hamas frees the Israelis. hostages when he took office.
“We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly,” Trump wrote Wednesday on his social media platform Truth Social.
The long-awaited agreement follows Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani’s meeting with Hamas negotiators and, separately, with Israeli negotiators.
“A ceasefire is very good news for Israel, for America, for the Palestinian people, and in particular for the hostage families who have waited so long in agony,” the leader said on Wednesday. Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York.
THE Israeli Defense Forces also posted a message related to the deal on X, writing “Wings of Freedom is the name given to the IDF’s preparations for the return of the hostages.”
News of the deal sparked joyous protests in the streets of Israel and Gaza on Wednesday evening local time.
Palestinians react to the announcement of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, January 15, 2025.
Mohammed Salem | Reuters
Envoys from President Joe Biden and Trump have been present during the last rounds of negotiations. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the proposed deal was based on a framework proposed by the Biden administration in May.
Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for secretary of state, was testifying at his Senate confirmation hearing when news of the deal broke Wednesday. He noted the participation of Trump’s pick for Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, in talks held since Witkoff’s announcement.
Supporters of Israeli hostages, who were kidnapped during the deadly Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, embrace each other as they attend a protest to demand a deal to return all hostages home immediately, in the framework of ceasefire negotiations in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 15, 2025.
Ronen Zvulun | Reuters
“Everyone involved deserves to be congratulated for the ceasefire that the [Senate committee] “The president just announced it,” Rubio said. “But Steve Witkoff was a huge part of it and he was involved in it from day one.”
Witkoff is not yet an official US government envoy and will not assume the role until after Trump is sworn in on January 20.
Witkoff has also traveled to Qatar and Israel several times to participate in negotiations since landing the role.
Blinken called Witkoff’s involvement “critical,” emphasizing the importance of ensuring that Trump continues to support the deal once in office.
Palestinians react while awaiting news of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, January 15, 2025.
Mohammed Salem | Reuters
In recent months, Hamas and Israeli officials have largely agreed to reach a ceasefire in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages held by the Gaza-based militant group.
But the persistent sticking point remained Hamas’s demand that a full release of the hostages must lead to a complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war, while Israeli leaders believed the campaign against Gaza should continue until ‘until Hamas is dismantled.
Hamas planned and led the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people and took another 253 hostages. Around 116 of these captives have since been released.
The October attack sparked the war between Israel and Hamas and the relentless Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip which, according to Palestinian health authorities, has killed more than 46,000 people and destroyed the majority of the blockaded territory. .
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
