Israel and Hamas reach Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal
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Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire deal to pause the devastating war in Gaza, it has been announced, with the pause in fighting due to begin on Sunday. The deal promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and it will allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes.
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It also would flood badly needed humanitarian aid into a territory ravaged by 15 months of war. The prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, announcing the deal on Wednesday, said the ceasefire would go into effect on January 19. He made the announcement in the Qatari capital of Doha, the site of weeks of painstaking negotiations.
![[President Biden Delivers Remarks On Ceasefire Deal Between Israel And Hamas]](https://static.standard.co.uk/2025/01/15/20/51/President-Biden-Delivers-Remarks-On-Ceasefire-Deal-Between-Israel-And-Hamas-nrioxafa.jpeg?trim=111,0,112,0&quality=75&auto=webp&width=960)
US President Joe Biden then touted the deal from Washington, saying the ceasefire will stay in place as long as Israel and Hamas remain at the negotiating table over a long-term truce. Biden said his administration and President-elect Donald Trump's team were "speaking as one" in the negotiations.
Once the deal officially begins, it 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 those six weeks, 33 of the nearly 100 hostages are to be reunited with their loved ones after months in in captivity with no contact with the outside world, though it's unclear if all are alive.
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.
