Doha:
Qatar's prime minister announced that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement on Wednesday on a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza. He added that he hoped the deal would pave the way for a permanent end to the fighting.
After mediators earlier said an agreement had been reached, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office warned that some issues in the framework remained “unresolved”, although it hoped the “details will be finalized this evening”.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, serving in a largely ceremonial role, said the deal was the “right step” to return hostages captured in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that sparked the war.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani told a news conference that the ceasefire would come into effect on Sunday.
“The two warring sides in the Gaza Strip have reached an agreement on the prisoner and hostage exchange, and (the mediators) announce a ceasefire in the hope of reaching a permanent ceasefire between the two sides” , he said.
In the first phase of the deal, Hamas would release 33 prisoners, he added, “including civilian women and female recruits, as well as children (and) the elderly… in exchange for some prisoners held in Israeli prisons. “.
Protesters in Tel Aviv calling for the hostages' release were embraced as news of the deal spread, while thousands across Gaza celebrated the agreement to halt hostilities that have devastated much of Palestinian territory.
“I can't believe this nightmare of over a year is finally coming to an end. We have lost so many people, we have lost everything,” said Randa Sameeh, a 45-year-old displaced person from Gaza City to the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
Hamas said the ceasefire was the result of the legendary steadfastness of our great Palestinian people and our brave resistance in the Gaza Strip for more than fifteen months.
Pressure to end the fighting has increased in recent days as mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States have stepped up efforts to reach an agreement.
On Wednesday, Qatar's Sheikh Mohammed said the three countries would monitor the implementation of the ceasefire through a body in Cairo.
– Trump applauds 'EPIC' deal –
US President Joe Biden said he was “excited” about the development, adding that the deal would “stop the fighting in Gaza, increase much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians and reunite the hostages with their families.”
The deal came after months of failed attempts to end the deadliest war in Gaza's history, and days before the inauguration of Biden's successor Donald Trump, who welcomed the deal before it was officially signed by the White House was announced.
Trump had warned Hamas of “heavy punishment” if it did not free the remaining prisoners before he took office, and envoys from both his new administration and Biden's had been present at the latest negotiations.
“This epic ceasefire agreement could only have happened as a result of our historic victory in November,” Trump said on social media.
The president-elect added that his White House would “continue to work closely with Israel and our allies to ensure that Gaza NEVER again becomes a safe haven for terrorists.”
Hamas fueled the war in Gaza by carrying out the deadliest ever attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
Palestinian militants also took 251 people hostage during the attack, 94 of whom are still being held in Gaza, including 34 who the Israeli army says are dead.
Israel's retaliatory campaign in Gaza has killed 46,707 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which the UN considers reliable.
– Need help –
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi noted the “importance of accelerating the access of urgent humanitarian assistance” to Gaza as he welcomed news of the deal.
State-affiliated Egyptian news channel Al-Qahera quoted a security source as saying that “coordination is underway” to reopen the Rafah crossing on Gaza's border with Egypt to allow the entry of international aid.
The state-run newspaper Al-Ahram also reported that talks were underway to open the border crossing.
Sticking points in successive rounds of talks included disagreements over the sustainability of a possible ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the scale of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory.
The UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, which faces an Israeli ban on its activities due to take effect later this month, said it will continue to provide much-needed aid.
Netanyahu, who vowed to crush Hamas in retaliation for the October 7 attack, has opposed any post-war role for the militant group in the area.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that Israel should ultimately “accept the reunification of Gaza and the West Bank under the leadership of a reformed” Palestinian Authority, and embrace a “path to the formation of an independent Palestinian state.” .
He added that the “best incentive” to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace remains the prospect of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa said during his speech in Oslo that the latest attempt at a ceasefire in Gaza showed that international pressure on Israel was “paying off”.
The October 7 attack on communities in southern Israel caused consternation around the world, as did the extent of suffering in Gaza as a result of the retaliatory war.
World powers and international organizations have pushed for months for a ceasefire, which had remained elusive until Wednesday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Our staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)