A ceasefire agreement was announced on Wednesday to end the 15-month-long conflict in the Gaza Strip, according to President Joe Biden, Qatar’s prime minister, and Hamas officials. The agreement, which marks the first significant break in violence since a truce ended on December 1, 2023, will also facilitate the release of dozens of hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
The deal is set to take effect on Sunday, according to Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, whose country played a key role in hosting weeks of intense negotiations. Under the phased agreement, Israeli forces will pull back to the Gaza border, enabling displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. Additionally, it will allow for the transfer of hostages and prisoners, as well as the shipment of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Hospitals and healthcare facilities in the region will also be rebuilt.
As part of the deal, Hamas will release 33 hostages in exchange for 100 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences. Israel will also release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners who were not involved in the October 7 attacks, with additional releases planned for those held either abroad or in Gaza.
President Biden praised the agreement, highlighting the efforts of U.S., Egyptian, and Qatari diplomats. “My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done,” Biden said in a statement, expressing his satisfaction with the breakthrough. “This day has finally come, for the sake of the people of Israel, the families waiting in agony, and for the innocent people in Gaza, who have suffered unimaginable devastation.”
The announcement comes amidst harsh winter conditions for civilians in Gaza and significant developments in the broader Middle East. Hamas officials expressed relief over the deal but noted that previous attempts to reach an agreement had failed, such as one in May.
In Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office pointed to a compromise in the negotiations, claiming Hamas had backed down from a last-minute demand regarding the deployment of forces on the Philadelphi Corridor, the area separating Gaza from Egypt. However, Netanyahu’s office cautioned that some aspects of the deal remain unresolved and may require further clarification.
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