Israel and Hamas have successfully established a ceasefire in Gaza and agreed on a deal for the release of hostages, following negotiations facilitated by Qatar’s prime minister.
These arrangements come after a week of vigorous discussions mediated by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt.
“Today, after many months of intensive diplomacy by the United States, alongside Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage deal,” President Biden stated in a written announcement. “This agreement will put an end to the fighting in Gaza, allow much-needed humanitarian aid to reach Palestinian civilians, and reunite hostages with their families after over 15 months of captivity.”
Intensive talks had been taking place in Doha for several weeks, during which President Biden’s top Middle East advisor, Brett McGurk, spent nearly a month in the region.
McGurk coordinated closely with President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for special Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. Biden also communicated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the negotiations on Sunday.
In Israel, families of the approximately 100 hostages still held by Hamas following the group’s devastating attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people, have been conducting regular demonstrations urging a negotiated resolution for the release of their loved ones.
The Israel Defense Forces estimate that about one-third of the hostages may have already perished.
“We are deeply thankful that there is finally an agreement between Israel and Hamas to bring our loved ones — Omer, Edan, Sagui, Itay, Keith, Gad, and Judi — home,” said the families of American hostages in Gaza in a statement.
“We have endured 467 days of our family members suffering from life-threatening injuries, abuse, torture, and sexual violence. We extend our gratitude to President Biden, President-elect Trump, and their teams for their significant efforts in making this possible.”
According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, more than 46,000 Palestinians have died in Israeli strikes since the conflict began, leading to widespread displacement among Gaza’s population, which is now primarily living in camps.
