Israel and Hamas Reach Agreement for Ceasefire and Hostage Release

Israel Defense Force
Israel Defense Force. |

Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire deal that is expected to halt fighting in the Gaza Strip temporarily. The agreement aims to secure the release of hostages taken by the terror group since October 7, 2023.

A U.S. official informed The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that both parties agreed to the ceasefire and hostage arrangement, and an Israeli official confirmed that “differences in negotiations” had been resolved, finalizing the deal.

The agreement follows weeks of negotiations conducted in Doha, Qatar, as reported by The Associated Press. Under the terms of the deal, Hamas is expected to release dozens of hostages taken during its October 2023 attack in phases.

Over six weeks, 33 of the nearly 100 remaining hostages are anticipated to reunite with their families. In return, Israel has agreed to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, which will also enable displaced individuals in Gaza to return to their homes.

As a result of the agreement, fighting between Israel and Hamas is expected to pause for six weeks while discussions regarding a permanent end to the conflict continue.

Three U.S. officials and a Hamas representative confirmed that the deal had been reached at the time of the AP report, while a senior Israeli official noted that several details of the agreement were still being finalized.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden stated that the “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 added, “It is long past time for the fighting to end and the work of building peace and security to begin.” 

Biden also remarked, “I am thinking of the American families, three of whom have living hostages in Gaza and four who are awaiting the return of remains after what has been the most horrible ordeal imaginable. Under this deal, we are determined to bring all of them home.”

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza to eradicate Hamas after the terrorist group — which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007 — stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking over 200 others hostage. 

Hamas-controlled health officials claim that the war has led to the deaths of over 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza; however, this figure does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. Additionally, it does not account for misfired rockets launched from Gaza into Israel.

Israel and Hamas previously reached a ceasefire agreement in November 2023, during which Hamas released over 100 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners serving sentences for terrorism and other violence-related offenses in Israel.