Israel, Hamas reach ceasefire deal to end 15-month Gaza war, release hostages

US President Joe Biden has confirmed that Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza, complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the besieged enclave.

And the release of all hostages captured by the Palestinian militant group when it launched the unprecedented attack against the Jewish nation in October 2023. “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,” Biden told reporters at the Oval Office late Wednesday.

The six-week initial agreement which will come into effect on January 19 will see the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and release of the Hamas-held hostagesin exchange for Palestinian prisoners taken into custody by Israel.

The deal between the warring factions provisions a six-week preliminary ceasefire phase and will include a systematic withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and an exchange of hostages held by the respective parties, Biden said, adding that the truce deal has been structured in three phases.

The outgoing President confirmed that US help in the release of hostages in the first phase of the deal. “During the next six weeks, Israel will negotiate the necessary arrangements to get (to) phase two, which is a permanent end to the war,” he said.

Israel has agreed to allow injured Palestinians to leave Gaza for medical treatment and to open the Rafah crossing with Egypt seven days after the first phase of the agreement begins. The second and third phases, while agreed upon in principle, will be negotiated during the first phase. US President Joe Biden has confirmed that the ceasefire will continue even if negotiations for the latter phase extend beyond the initial six weeks.

In the second phase, if conditions are met, Hamas will release all remaining captives, primarily male soldiers, in exchange for the release of additional Palestinian prisoners. Israel would also begin a complete withdrawal from Gaza.

In the third phase, Hamas would return the bodies of remaining captives. In return, a three- to five-year reconstruction plan for Gaza, managed under international supervision, would be implemented. “This deal was developed and negotiated by my administration, but its terms will be implemented, for the most part, by the next administration. For the past few days, we have been speaking as one team,” Biden said.

The truce came after months of ceasefire talks and negotiation talks led by Egypt and Qatar, supported by the US. Interestingly, the deal came days ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration for a second time in office. Quoting Hamas, news agency Reuters further reported that the Palestinian militant group’s delegation had forwarded approval for the ceasefire deal and release of hostages.

In a social media statement announcing the ceasefire, Hamas called the agreement “an achievement for our people” and “a turning point”. Meanwhile, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he thanked both Biden and US President-elect Donald Trump for the breakthrough, adding that he would visit Washington soon.

According to a Palestinian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, he said that Hamas had earlier given a verbal nod to the ceasefire deal and hostage return terms as per negotiations held in Qatar, before formally giving written approval.

Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he was on his way back to Israel from a European visit midway so that he can be available for security cabinet and government votes on the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

The Israeli invasion of Gaza came after Hamas militants barged into Israeli communities, shattering security barriers in their way on October 7, 2023, and killing some 12,000 soldiers and civilians. During the attack, the militants also took around 250 people hostage.

The Gaza health ministry claims that, since October 2023, more than 46,000 people have been killed over the course of the Israeli campaign in Gaza, while hundreds of thousands have been forced to live in tents and makeshift rehabilitation camps.

US President-elect Donald Trump had demanded the Israel-Hamas truce be pulled off as quickly as possible, clubbed with a warning that there would be “hell to pay” if the hostages were not returned. Trump’s Middle East Ambassador Steve Witkoff held extensive talks and worked closely with outgoing President Joe Biden to get done with the deal.

During the 15-month war, the entire Middle-East came on the brink of a full-blown war with Iran-backed proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthis in Yemen, attacking Israeli interests in those countries. Israel, on the other hand, eliminated several top commanders of Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis.