Israel and Hamas have agreed a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal following 15 months of war, mediators Qatar and the US say.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said the agreement would come into effect on Sunday so long as it was approved by the Israeli cabinet.
US President Joe Biden said it would “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”.
The Israeli prime minister’s office said earlier there were “several unresolved clauses” but it hoped details could be finalised on Wednesday night. A Hamas official said it had approved the draft from mediators.
Palestinians in Gaza and Israeli hostages’ families celebrated the news, which will see 33 of the almost 100 hostages held by Hamas exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails over the first six-week phase of the ceasefire.
Israeli forces will pull back from populated areas of Gaza, displaced Palestinians will be allowed to begin returning to their homes, and hundreds of aid lorries will be allowed into the territory each day.
Negotiations for the second phase – which should see the remaining hostages released, a full Israeli troop withdrawal and a “sustainable calm” – would start on the 16th day of the ceasefire.
The third and final stage would involve the reconstruction of Gaza – something which could take years – and the return of any remaining hostages’ bodies.
The deal is expected to be approved by the Israeli cabinet, possibly as soon as Thursday morning, although the far-right national security minister has said he will vote against it.
Then the names of all the Palestinian prisoners due for release will be made public by the Israeli government, and the families of any victims will be given 48 hours to appeal.
The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the group’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
More than 46,700 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. Most of the 2.3 million population has also been displaced, there is widespread destruction, and there are severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter due to a struggle to get aid to those in need.
Israel says 94 of the hostages are still being held by Hamas, of whom 34 are presumed dead. In addition, there are four Israelis who were abducted before the war, two of whom are dead.
Israeli forces will pull back from populated areas of Gaza, displaced Palestinians will be allowed to begin returning to their homes, and there will be a surge in humanitarian aid.
