Negotiators reached a phased deal on Wednesday to end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, an official briefed on the negotiations said, after 15 months of conflict that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and inflamed the Middle East.
The accord, which has not yet been formally announced, outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the official told Reuters.
Phase one entails the release of 33 Israeli hostages including all women, children and men over 50.
Negotiations on implementing the second phase will begin by the 16th day of phase one and it is expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The third phase is expected to address the return of all remaining dead bodies and the start of Gaza's reconstruction supervised by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.
The agreement follows months of on-off negotiations conducted by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with the backing of the United States, and comes just ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of U.S. 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 and was awaiting more information to give final written approval.
If successful, the planned phased ceasefire could halt fighting that has left much of Gaza in ruins, displaced most of the enclave's pre-war population of 2.3 million, and killed tens of thousands of people. The toll is still rising daily.
That in turn could defuse tensions across the wider Middle East, where the war has stoked conflict in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, and raised fears of all-out war between arch regional foes Israel and Iran.
Even if the warring sides implement the current deal, it will still require further negotiation before there is a lasting ceasefire and the release of all the hostages.
The Israel Defence Force (IDF) has announced the death of senior Hamas commander Muhammad Sinwar. His body was reportedly identified on June 8th among five others found in a tunnel complex near the European Hospital in Khan Younis.
Israel’s military says it has identified the body of top Hamas commander Mohammed Sinwar beneath a hospital in southern Gaza.
The United Nations Security Council is likely to vote on Wednesday, June 4, on a draft resolution calling for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, according to diplomats.
Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, criticized Hamas’s response to Washington’s latest ceasefire proposal, calling it “completely unacceptable” and a step backward.
Hamas said on Saturday it had officially responded to a ceasefire plan put forward by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who represents President Donald Trump in Middle East diplomacy. The group said its reply includes a key demand: a complete end to the war.
At least nine people, including children and their rescuers, died after sudden floodwaters swept through a river in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, turning a family picnic into tragedy.
North Korea plans to attract Russian tourists after opening its long-delayed Wonsan-Kalma coastal resort to domestic travellers in July, amid deepening ties with Moscow.
Denmark’s Arctic chief has dismissed concerns over a U.S. takeover of Greenland but says more must be done to deter any Russian attack on the strategically vital Arctic island.
With the tariff deadline fast approaching, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is pushing for a swift and straightforward trade agreement between the EU and the U.S., as both sides continue talks to avoid a potential economic standoff.
The European Commission has warned Meta that it may face daily fines starting 27 June if its modified pay-or-consent advertising model fails to meet EU antitrust requirements under the Digital Markets Act.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar has advised American citizens to shelter in place amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, as part of a broader global security alert issued by Washington.
In a televised address on Saturday night, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced that American forces, in coordination with Israel, had conducted precision strikes on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, aiming to dismantle Tehran’s enrichment capabilities.
President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces struck three Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, marking direct American involvement in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
The United States and China have resolved disputes over rare earth mineral and magnet shipments, overcoming a key hurdle that had delayed a trade agreement reached in May.
The Kremlin has voiced strong concern over Estonia’s readiness to host NATO’s nuclear-capable F-35A jets, calling the move an immediate danger to Russia.
At least nine people, including children and their rescuers, died after sudden floodwaters swept through a river in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, turning a family picnic into tragedy.
North Korea plans to attract Russian tourists after opening its long-delayed Wonsan-Kalma coastal resort to domestic travellers in July, amid deepening ties with Moscow.
Denmark’s Arctic chief has dismissed concerns over a U.S. takeover of Greenland but says more must be done to deter any Russian attack on the strategically vital Arctic island.
At least nine people, including children and their rescuers, died after sudden floodwaters swept through a river in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, turning a family picnic into tragedy.
North Korea plans to attract Russian tourists after opening its long-delayed Wonsan-Kalma coastal resort to domestic travellers in July, amid deepening ties with Moscow.
Denmark’s Arctic chief has dismissed concerns over a U.S. takeover of Greenland but says more must be done to deter any Russian attack on the strategically vital Arctic island.
With the tariff deadline fast approaching, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is pushing for a swift and straightforward trade agreement between the EU and the U.S., as both sides continue talks to avoid a potential economic standoff.
The European Commission has warned Meta that it may face daily fines starting 27 June if its modified pay-or-consent advertising model fails to meet EU antitrust requirements under the Digital Markets Act.
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