US President-elect Donald Trump hailed an “epic” ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday — and claimed credit for an accord that comes days before he is due to be sworn in for his second term. “We have a deal for the hostages. They will be released shortly. Thank you!” he wrote on his Truth Social network, before any official announcement from outgoing President Joe Biden’s White House.
Trump had warned Palestinian armed group Hamas of “hell to pay” if it did not free the captives before he took office, and envoys from both his incoming administration and Biden’s outgoing one had been present at the latest negotiations. “This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November,” Trump added in a lengthy second post.
Netanyahu’s office, however, said several clauses in the framework remain unresolved, and we hope that the details will be finalised tonight. Any agreement needs to be approved by Netanyahu’s cabinet.
The two statement came after multiple officials said that negotiators from Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire deal to pause the devastating war in Gaza, raising the possibility of winding down the deadliest and most destructive fighting between the bitter enemies. Three officials from the United States and one from Hamas confirmed that the deal had been reached. Basem Naim, a Hamas official, confirmed the agreement, although the militant group had yet to release a formal statement.
The deal, coming after weeks of painstaking negotiations in the Qatari capital, promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and would allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes. It also would flood badly needed humanitarian aid into a territory ravaged by 15 months of war.
Once official, the deal is expected to deliver an initial six-week halt to fighting that is to be accompanied by the opening of negotiations on ending the war altogether. Over six weeks, 33 of the nearly 100 hostages are to be reunited with their loved ones after months in captivity with no contact with the outside world, though it’s unclear if all are alive. In exchange, Israel will release a host of jailed Palestinians.
It remained unclear exactly when and how many displaced Palestinians would be able to return to what remains of their homes and whether the agreement would lead to a complete end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza – key Hamas demands for releasing the remaining captives. Many longer-term questions about postwar Gaza remain, including who will rule the territory or oversee the daunting task of reconstruction after a brutal conflict that has destabilized the broader Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.
Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack, which killed some 1,200 Israelis and took 250 others hostage. Israel responded with a fierce offensive that has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza’s population and sparked a humanitarian crisis.
The US along with Egypt and Qatar, have brokered months of indirect talks between the bitter enemies that finally culminated in this latest deal. It comes after Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Nov, after more than a year of conflict linked to the war in the Gaza. Agencies
