Mediators announced a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, pausing the devastating 15-month war that has destroyed most of the Gaza Strip.
The deal will pause fighting for six weeks and open negotiations to end the war altogether. Over those six weeks, 33 hostages will be exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Displaced Palestinians will be able to return to what’s left of their homes, and humanitarian aid will flow freely.
Israel estimated that 30 of nearly 100 remaining hostages are dead, but U.S. and Israeli officials privately believe the true number to be much higher, the Wall Street Journal reported. Of the 33 hostages set to be released, some are expected to be dead.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another Gazan militant group, also approved of the deal.
Trump announced the deal in a post on Truth Social.
“WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!” he said.
Trump elaborated in a second post, crediting the efforts of Steve Witkoff, his special envoy to the Middle East. He promised to “continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven.”
“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies. I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones,” Trump said.
“We have achieved so much without even being in the White House. Just imagine all of the wonderful things that will happen when I return to the White House, and my Administration is fully confirmed, so they can secure more Victories for the United States!” he added.
President Joe Biden announced the ceasefire in a statement, followed by an address to the public.
“Today, after many months of intensive diplomacy by the United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage deal. This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity,” he said.
“I am thrilled that those who have been held hostage are being reunited with their families,” he concluded.
In his spoken address, Biden said the Palestinian people could now look to a future free from Hamas, though the status of Hamas’s rule over the Gaza Strip was unaddressed by the deal.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), speaking with the Washington Examiner, greeted the news with cautious optimism.
“I think it’s a positive development, but before I start popping any champagne corks, I want to get so a little more detail,” he said.
An Israeli official told the Associated Press that the details of the deal were still being ironed out. The Israeli Security Council will meet Thursday to discuss it.
According to a draft viewed by the Wall Street Journal, Hamas accepted verbal guarantees from the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey that Israel would continue negotiations for a permanent ceasefire.
After 16 days, talks will focus on whether to extend the ceasefire into a permanent end to hostilities.
Israeli troops will withdraw from most of Gaza, with soldiers only allowed within a 700-meter-deep buffer zone within the strip, except for corridors along the Egyptian border and through the center of Gaza. If conditions are met, Israel Defense Forces troops will eventually withdraw from Gaza completely, according to Al Jazeera.
Negotiations were almost derailed in the last moments after Hamas attempted to change previously agreed-upon details regarding security guarantees along Gaza’s border with Egypt, Israel announced late Wednesday. A Qatari and Hamas official told the Associated Press that the matter was resolved.
Israeli and Hamas negotiators were both in Doha, Qatar, but not in the same room. They communicated via mediators.
News of the ceasefire was met with widespread celebrations across Gaza, with cheering crowds, car horns honking, and celebratory gunfire.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
A poll from the Agam Labs at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found that 60% of Israelis believe Israel accomplished its military goals and should focus on a deal to release the remaining hostages.
Casualty estimates in the conflict are controversial, but the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said 46,000 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023, with no distinction between civilians and fighters. More than 1,200 Israelis were killed in Hamas’s initial cross-border raid, with another 250 taken hostage. Hundreds of IDF soldiers have been killed.
Mabinty Quarshie contributed to this report.
