Gaza War: Israel, Hamas Agree Ceasefire To Halt Devastating 15-Month Conflict
- Warring parties okay Sunday as kick-off date
Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Wednesday confirmed that Israel and Hamas have agreed a ceasefire starting on Sunday to halt the devastating 15-month war in Gaza.
Sheikh Al Thani said the deal will lead to the release of Israeli captives and a surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
He said the ceasefire deal, designed to pause the war in Gaza and broker an end to the brutal 15-month conflict, is set to be officially accepted by Israel after a cabinet meeting on Thursday.
The announcement on Wednesday night by the Qatar’s Prime Minister came after weeks of negotiations in the Qatari capital, Doha. There were intensified efforts in recent days to hammer out the final details after increased pressure on Israel to reach a deal from the US president-elect, Donald Trump, which Sheikh Mohammed acknowledged in his media conference.
“The two belligerents in the Gaza Strip have reached a deal on the prisoner and the hostage swap, and [the mediators] announce a ceasefire in the hopes of reaching a permanent ceasefire between the two sides,” the Qatari Leader said.
“Both parties should commit totally to all three phrases [of the agreement] to steer away from further bloodshed and steer away escalation in the region”, Sheikh Mohammed said, adding; “We hope this will be the end of a dark chapter of war.”
Immediately afterwards, the US President Joe Biden hinted that his administration negotiated the deal but that Trump’s team will soon be charged with making sure it is implemented.
The incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, joined the White House’s Middle East adviser Brett McGurk as the talks came to fruition in Doha, Biden said.
The deal’s confirmation comes on the heels of an earlier statement released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office saying that several clauses in Gaza deal remained “unresolved” but hoped to “finalise [them] tonight”.
However, earlier on Wednesday, Israeli forces stepped up attacks on Gaza, bombing a school-turned-shelter and several homes across the Strip, and killing at least 62 people over the latest 24-hour reporting period.
Available statistics indicate that the war in Gaza has led to the killing of at least 46,707 Palestinians and wounded 110,265 since October 7, 2023.
Reports also said at least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than 200 were taken captive.
Meanwhile, here is a recap of main events as reported by Al Jazeera on the ceasefire deal.
– Qatar, Egypt and the United States announced that Hamas and Israel have reached a multi-phased deal that halts the war in Gaza and leads to the release of Israeli captives in the territory.
– Mediators said the deal will go into effect on Sunday and starts with a 42-day period that would see the release of 33 Israeli captives and a number of Palestinian prisoners.
– Hamas lauded the agreement, saying that Palestinians have thwarted the goals of Israel’s “war of extermination”.
– Incoming US President Donald Trump claimed credit for the “epic” agreement, suggesting that his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff helped push it over the line.
– Displaced people in Gaza celebrated the deal, expressing relief over being able to return to their homes even if they are destroyed.
– Israel continued its relentless bombardment of Gaza, killing 12 people in an attack on a residential compound in Gaza City.
– An Israeli attack in Jenin in the occupied West Bank killed at least six people, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
