Israel and Hamas reach ceasefire agreement meant to end 15-month Gaza war
The Gaza ceasefire deal is to take effect on 19 January 2025.
The deal outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian detainees held by Israel, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters.
The agreement follows months of on-off negotiations brokered by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with the backing of the United States, and came just ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
Hamas, Gaza's dominant Palestinian militant group, told Reuters its delegation had handed mediators its approval for the ceasefire agreement and return of hostages.
A Palestinian official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters earlier Hamas had given verbal approval to the ceasefire and hostage return proposal under negotiation in Qatar and was waiting for more information to give final written approval.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he was cutting a visit to Europe short and flying back to Israel overnight to take part in security cabinet and government votes on the deal - meaning the votes would likely be by or on Thursday.
Israeli troops invaded Gaza after Hamas-led gunmen broke through security barriers and burst into Israeli communities on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and abducting more than 250 foreign and Israeli hostages.
Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 46,000 people, according to Gaza health ministry figures, and left the coastal enclave a wasteland of rubble with hundreds of thousands surviving the winter cold in tents and makeshift shelters.
As his inauguration approached, Trump repeated his demand that a deal be done swiftly, warning repeatedly that there would be "hell to pay" if the hostages were not released. His Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff worked with President Joe Biden's team to push the deal over the line.
In Israel, the return of the hostages may ease some of the public anger against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government over the 7 October security failure that led to the deadliest single day in the country's history.
The conflict spread across the Middle East, with Iran-backed proxies in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen attacking Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians.
The deal comes after Israel killed the top leaders of Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah in assassinations which gave it the upper hand.
The European Green Party (EGP) welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, marking a step that will hopefully end the cycle of violence that has caused immense suffering.
Ahead of the announcement, far right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir admitted to scuppering previous ceasefire deals numerous times. As a result, hostages remained in captivity and Gazans continued to suffer indiscriminate violence from the Israeli Defence Forces.
Vula Tsetsi, co-chair of the European Green Party, said: “We can only hope that today’s ceasefire will finally break the cycle of violence. While nothing can bring back the tens of thousands of Palestinians, including women and children who have been killed, nor Israeli victims of the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023, we hope that an agreement will serve as the foundation for a lasting peace and a two-state solution."
Ciarán Cuffe, co-chair of the European Green Party, emphasized the importance of international efforts in ensuring a fair and lasting peace: “We have witnessed 465 days of destruction during which Gaza has been devastated beyond recognition. We urge European institutions and national governments to actively engage in diplomatic efforts to ensure that the ceasefire agreement holds, that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is addressed immediately and that both sides work constructively towards an enduring peace.”
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