Israel and Hamas Reach Agreement on Ceasefire, Hostage Release at Gaza: Reports

The deal would bring at least a temporary end to nearly 15 months of fighting.

AP/Ohad Zwigenberg
Relatives and friends of people killed and abducted by Hamas and taken into Gaza, take part in a demonstration in Tel Aviv Wednesday. AP/Ohad Zwigenberg

Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement that would put a stop to more than a year of fighting, according to multiple reports.

A Hamas official told Sky News and several other outlets that a deal was made to end the fighting for at least six weeks. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Arab mediators said both sides reached an agreement to end the war. 

The deal is expected to be carried out in three phases, with the first part involving an exchange of 33 hostages held at Gaza along with a number of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails. The deal would also lead to the beginning of a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

After the first 16 days of the ceasefire, both sides will begin discussions about whether to continue the deal, which could be tricky. Israel has previously stated it would agree to a temporary ceasefire for the release of hostages, but that it would then want to resume fighting, while Hamas has said it would only release the hostages if it would lead to a permanent end to the war. 

The ceasefire agreement would bring at least a temporary end to nearly 15 months of fighting that started after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel left more than 1,200 people dead. Hamas terrorists took an estimated 250 people hostage in the attack. The ensuing war left large swaths of the Gaza Strip devastated.

While the reports indicated agreement could be coming soon, there are still some hurdles it has to overcome until it is official. Israel’s cabinet is scheduled to discuss the agreement on Thursday. And it will have to be agreed upon by Israel’s security cabinet and the rest of the government.


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