WASHINGTON – A ceasefire deal has been reached to end 15 months of fighting in the Gaza Strip, according to President Joe Biden and the prime minister of Qatar, which hosted weeks of intense negotiations, Reuters reported.
The hard-won agreement will also free dozens of hostages held in Gaza, as well as Palestinians in Israeli jails, bringing the first real break in violence since a weeklong truce expired December 1, 2023.
The deal will take effect Sunday, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said in a news conference in his country’s capital, Doha.
The news follows weeks of talks brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, amid a brutal winter for civilians in Gaza, as well as dramatic developments across the Middle East that have dealt setbacks to Iran, an Israeli foe.
In a statement, Biden hailed “many months of intensive diplomacy” by the US, Egypt and Qatar. “My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done,” the outgoing president said in part.
In subsequent on-camera remarks, Biden said he was “deeply satisfied this day has finally come, for the sake of the people of Israel and the families waiting in agony, and for the sake of the innocent people in Gaza, who suffered unimaginable devastation because of the war.”
Under the plan, Israel will withdraw its forces eastward from densely populated areas of Gaza, according to a portion of the deal shared by Hamas and written in English.
Hamas, meanwhile, will release 33 hostages in exchange for 100 Palestinian prisoners with life sentences, according to the text. Israel will also release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners who were not involved in the October 7 attacks, the text says, and an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners will also be released abroad or in Gaza.
“We are very happy to reach a deal today to stop the aggression against our people, but unfortunately we were unable to reach the same deal last May,” senior Hamas official Basem Naim told NBC News.
In a statement, Netanyahu’s office touted what it characterised as a compromise on Hamas’ part.
“In light of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s firm stance, Hamas has backed down on its demand at the last minute to change the deployment of forces on” the Philadelphi Corridor, the Israeli name for the narrow strip of land between Gaza and Egypt.
Reactions and quotes from world leaders
“The United Nations stands ready to support the implementation of this deal and scale up the delivery of sustained humanitarian relief to the countless Palestinians who continue to suffer,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the ceasefire deal was an important step for regional stability. Fidan also said Turkish efforts for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would continue.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani called for calm in the Gaza Strip between now and Jan. 19 when the ceasefire deal takes effect.
“I warmly welcome the ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza. Hostages will be reunited with their loved ones and humanitarian aid can reach civilians in Gaza. This brings hope to an entire region, where people have endured immense suffering for far too long. Both parties must fully implement this agreement, as a stepping stone toward lasting stability in the region and a diplomatic resolution of the conflict,” President of European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen said.
“After months of devastating bloodshed and countless lives lost, this is the long-overdue news that the Israeli and Palestinian people have desperately been waiting for,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in an emailed statement.
“For the innocent Palestinians whose homes turned into a warzone overnight and the many who have lost their lives, this ceasefire must allow for a huge surge in humanitarian aid, which is so desperately needed to end the suffering in Gaza”.
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