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.
Protesters and police clashed in the Israeli town of Mazor as crowds rallied against Prime Minister Netanyahu’s ongoing war in Gaza.
Hamas claims it has lost contact with the group holding Edan Alexander, a U.S.-Israeli soldier, after an Israeli airstrike reportedly killed one of his guards.
Hamas has proposed a deal to exchange all hostages for a set number of Palestinians jailed by Israel, rejecting an interim truce and calling for broader negotiations to end the war in Gaza.
Hamas has rejected Israel’s latest offer of a temporary truce in Gaza, instead demanding a comprehensive agreement that would end the war and include a full prisoner exchange.
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Protesters and police clashed in the Israeli town of Mazor as crowds rallied against Prime Minister Netanyahu’s ongoing war in Gaza.
Hamas claims it has lost contact with the group holding Edan Alexander, a U.S.-Israeli soldier, after an Israeli airstrike reportedly killed one of his guards.
Tehran and Washington have wrapped up their second round of nuclear talks, aiming to revive stalled diplomacy and explore the path to a potential agreement.
Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held a phone conversation on Saturday to discuss ongoing efforts to end the Israeli war on Gaza, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023.
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The U.S. Supreme Court has paused the Trump administration’s deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members, citing legal concerns.
Protesters and police clashed in the Israeli town of Mazor as crowds rallied against Prime Minister Netanyahu’s ongoing war in Gaza.
Hamas claims it has lost contact with the group holding Edan Alexander, a U.S.-Israeli soldier, after an Israeli airstrike reportedly killed one of his guards.
Tehran and Washington have wrapped up their second round of nuclear talks, aiming to revive stalled diplomacy and explore the path to a potential agreement.
Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held a phone conversation on Saturday to discuss ongoing efforts to end the Israeli war on Gaza, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023.
The U.S. Supreme Court has paused the Trump administration’s deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members, citing legal concerns.
Protesters and police clashed in the Israeli town of Mazor as crowds rallied against Prime Minister Netanyahu’s ongoing war in Gaza.
Hamas claims it has lost contact with the group holding Edan Alexander, a U.S.-Israeli soldier, after an Israeli airstrike reportedly killed one of his guards.
Tehran and Washington have wrapped up their second round of nuclear talks, aiming to revive stalled diplomacy and explore the path to a potential agreement.
Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held a phone conversation on Saturday to discuss ongoing efforts to end the Israeli war on Gaza, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023.
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