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Palestinians gather on the rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli attack in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
Majdi Fathi | Nurfoto | fake images
A ceasefire and a hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas has been hit, NBC News reports, marking a fundamental advance in the bloody 15 month war that has caused destruction and inflamed tensions throughout the region.
The events occur before the inauguration of the president-elect donald trump on January 20, a date seen by many as a de facto deadline for mediation, after the president-elect promised there would be “hell to pay” unless Hamas released the Israeli hostages when he takes office.
Mediators in Qatar on Monday presented the final draft of the agreement to representatives of both sides, including the heads of the Israeli spy agency Mossad. Hamas officials said progress had been made on some key issues and a conclusion would be reached “soon,” according to Reuters.
Envoys from both the President joe biden and Trump were present at the negotiations. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the proposed deal was based on a framework the Biden administration laid out in May.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar thanked US officials for their work in pushing for a ceasefire. The deal “looks much better than before,” Saar told media on Monday, Reuters reported, adding: “I want to thank our American friends for the enormous efforts they are investing in securing a hostage deal.”
Trump’s pick for Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, has also traveled several times to Qatar and Israel to participate in talks since he was appointed to the position.
Blinken described Witkoff’s involvement as “critical” and emphasized the importance of ensuring Trump continues to support the deal once he takes office.
In recent months, both Hamas and Israeli officials have broadly agreed to reach a ceasefire in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages held by the Gaza-based militant group.
Protesters raise banners during a protest calling for action to secure the release of Israelis held hostage in Gaza since October 2023, in front of the Israeli Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv on January 14, 2025, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the militant Hamas. cluster.
Jack Guez | afp | fake images
But the persistent sticking point remained Hamas’s demand that the full release of the hostages must result in a full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war, while Israel’s leaders maintained that the campaign in Gaza must continue until Hamas is dismantled.
Hamas planned and directed the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and took 253 others hostage. About 116 of those captives have since been freed.
The October attack sparked the subsequent war between Israel and Hamas and the relentless Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that, according to Palestinian health authorities, has killed more than 46,000 people and destroyed most of the blockaded territory.
This is a developing story; Please check back for updates.
