Israel, Hamas Agree To Initial Hostage And Ceasefire Deal
Over a year's worth of carnage could soon come to an end.
Israel and Hamas have agreed on a ceasefire. This deal will start the process of freeing Israeli hostages in Gaza. In return, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and let people in northern Gaza return home safely.
The Associated Press confirmed the news with US officials on Wednesday. Qatar and Hamas also announced it. The ceasefire might start as early as Sunday.
People in Gaza and Israel are celebrating. The deal has three stages. It offers hope to the people of Gaza and the families of Israeli hostages.
The deal is a win for US President-elect Donald Trump . It's a bit of a win for President Joe Biden too, despite the frustration and backlash he faced.
In a Truth Social post , Trump credited his re-election for the deal.
“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” he wrote .
After winning the presidential election two months ago, Trump warned that “all hell will break out” if Hamas didn't release the hostages by his inauguration. With Biden's permission, Trump sent Steve Witkoff to oversee negotiations in Qatar. Egyptian, Qatari, and US officials mediated, and Witkoff even met with Netanyahu, according to Haaretz .
Matt Duss, executive vice president of the Center for International Policy, called the deal “good news,” but “long overdue.”
“Trump's pressure seems to have made a difference here, which reflects badly on Biden,” said Duss. “The key question is what enforcement mechanisms there will be from phase to phase.”
Khaled Elgindy, a former adviser to Palestinian Liberation Organization leaders, is cautiously optimistic. He noted that a lot depends on the deal's implementation and follow-through.
“We could get a deal that's stuck in Phase One,” said Elgindy. “There would be a lot of deference to the Israeli side. I don't see Trump calling out Israel if they violate the terms of the agreement.”
The complete details of the agreement are not yet public. But the outlines of the ceasefire deal were reported in the days leading up to the official announcement.
The first phase of the agreement will stop fighting between Hamas and Israel. It will also let a lot of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Hamas will start by releasing 33 Israeli hostages who are considered "humanitarian."
This includes children, women, sick people, and older men, as multiple news reports say.
Israel will then release a large number of Palestinian prisoners. This will start with women and minors they are holding.
Israel plans to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in the first phase. The exact number will depend on how many of the first 33 hostages are alive, The New York Times reported . They also want to recover the bodies of dead hostages.
About 36 hostages in Gaza are believed to be dead, Israeli authorities say.
In this first stage, the Israeli military will let Gazans return to northern Gaza. This area has been almost destroyed. They will also withdraw many military personnel once the first hostages are back.
After two weeks, Israel and Hamas will start talking about the second stage. Hamas will release adult male hostages, including soldiers. Israel will release more Palestinian prisoners and pull back its military from more territory.
By the end of the deal, Israel will remove its military installations. They will also withdraw to the edges of Gaza, The Times of Israel reports.
The third and final stage will complete any remaining hostage and prisoner exchanges. It will also allow Gaza to start rebuilding.
The current war in Gaza is one of the bloodiest conflicts of the 21st century. It started when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. They killed nearly 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and took 250 hostages.
Hamas' attack was the worst civilian massacre in Israel's history. It led to an Israeli aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza. This has led to accusations of war crimes and even genocide from many countries and human rights groups.
Over 15 months, Israel has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians. They have displaced almost all of Gaza's population. Huge areas of the coastal enclave are now uninhabitable. Parts of the strip have lacked food, water, and essential supplies for long periods.
The Israeli military says it has tried to limit civilian deaths and suffering. But, military records and firsthand accounts have confirmed that Israel has tolerated more civilian casualties in this war than before.
In a rare win, the Biden administration helped broker a temporary ceasefire deal in November 2023. This deal led to the release of 105 Israeli hostages. It also brought a surge in humanitarian aid for Gazan civilians.
However, the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has been a major setback for Biden. It has disrupted the last year of his term. This war has also added to global chaos, shaping his legacy.
Biden's support for Israel has lost him some Democratic voters. Many observers also criticize him for not stopping some of Israel's actions. His frustration with Netanyahu has been used against him by Trump and his supporters.
Jack Lew, Biden's ambassador to Israel, spoke to The Times of Israel in a Sunday interview . Lew said Biden's support for Israel has made his reelection harder. This opposition came from the media and parts of his own party.
Biden refused to use US military aid to push for policy changes in Israel. He only withheld weapons once. This was in May, when he stopped sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. These bombs cause high civilian casualties in crowded areas.
Since the war started, the US has given Israel $12.5 billion in military aid. It has also sent Israel two Iron Dome missile defense batteries . The US has sold Israel billions of dollars in other weapons. It has also moved two aircraft carrier groups closer to Israel to deter Iran-backed groups.
Biden's team tried to secure a lasting ceasefire but failed. As early as February 2024, Biden hoped a ceasefire was days away .
In May, a ceasefire proposal was introduced, but it failed. Biden said Israelis could be sure of their security. He claimed Israel had weakened Hamas too much for another attack like Oct. 7.
The near success of the agreement in May and June is frustrating for Biden's critics. Biden's comments at the time have also added to the frustration.
“If you could get this deal today, well, why couldn't you get it in May?” Elgindy said. “This is a massive failure by Biden.”
“He needed to put pressure on the Israelis,” he added, citing the decision to continue arming Israel without additional conditions. “He needed to tell them, 'Enough. This has to stop.'”
Blinken said Hamas' refusal to agree was the main problem. But Israel made new demands over the summer. They wanted to keep control of the Philadelphia corridor and stricter rules for Gazan civilians returning.
It's unclear if the new deal will let Israel control the Philadelphia corridor. This is a key point of contention.
Many Israeli critics think Netanyahu is avoiding deals to keep his coalition together. The coalition includes far-right parties led by Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. Both have spoken out against the agreement.
In November, Yoav Gallant, a former defense minister, spoke to hostage families. He said Netanyahu is keeping troops in Gaza for personal or political reasons. Gallant was fired by Netanyahu over disagreements.
Netanyahu believes keeping military pressure on Hamas is key to getting hostages back. He says this pressure is essential at the negotiating table.
But direct military action hasn't worked well. Israel has rescued only eight hostages through military actions. They have found the bodies of 40 hostages believed killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Israel also accidentally killed three hostages trying to surrender in December 2023. Hamas also killed six hostages when Israeli forces were closing in in September.
The failure to get a ceasefire has caused a huge loss of life. Since October 2024, over 4,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza health ministry. This number includes both civilians and militia fighters.