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Palestinians gather in the rubble of a house destroyed by an Israeli strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
Majdi Fathi | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Cease fire and hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas has been reached, NBC News reports, marking a key breakthrough in the bloody 15-month war that has caused destruction and inflamed tension throughout the region.
The events take place on the eve of the inauguration of the president-elect Donald Trump January 20 is a date seen by many as the de facto deadline for mediation, after the president-elect vowed there would be “hell to pay” if Hamas did not release Israeli hostages by the time he takes office.
Mediators in Qatar on Monday presented the final draft of the agreement to representatives of both sides, including the heads of Israel’s Mossad spy agency. Hamas officials said progress had been made on some key issues and a conclusion should be reached “soon,” Reuters reported.
Representatives of both presidents Joe Biden and Trump attended the talks. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the proposed deal builds on the principle the Biden administration outlined in May.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar thanked American officials for their work on the ceasefire. The agreement “looks much better than before,” Saar told media on Monday, according to Reuters, adding: “I want to thank our American friends for the tremendous effort they are making to secure a deal with the hostages.”
Trump’s pick for Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, has also made several trips to Qatar and Israel for talks since taking the role.
Blinken described Witkoff’s involvement as “critical,” stressing the importance of ensuring Trump continues to support the deal once he takes office.
Over the past few months, both Hamas and Israeli officials have generally agreed to a ceasefire in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages held by Gaza-based militants.
Demonstrators hold up placards during a protest calling for action to secure the release of Israelis held hostage in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, in front of the Israeli Defense Ministry building in Tel Aviv on January 14, 2025, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the militant group Hamas. group.
Jack Guz | Afp | Getty Images
But a constant stumbling block remained Hamas’s demand that the full release of the hostages should lead to the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and an end to the war, while Israeli leaders believed that the Gaza campaign should continue until Hamas was eliminated.
Hamas planned and led an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people and took 253 hostages. About 116 of these prisoners have since been released.
The October attack sparked the ensuing war between Israel and Hamas and a relentless Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 46,000 people and destroyed much of the blockaded territory, according to Palestinian health authorities.
This story is in development, check back for updates.
