Israel and Hamas agree ceasefire in Gaza and hostage release deal

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 - Israel and Hamas have agreed on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal following meetings with Qatar's prime minister.

The deal comes after a week of intense negotiations mediated by Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt 

"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," Mr. Biden said in a written statement. "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."

Intense negotiations had been underway in Doha for the past few weeks, with President Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, staying in the region for the better part of a month. McGurk has been closely coordinating with President-elect Donald Trump's pick for special Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. Mr Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone on Sunday about the negotiations.

In Israel, families of the approximately 100 hostages still being held after Hamas' brutal Oct. 7 2023 attack, which saw the group and allied militants kill about 1,200 people, have been holding regular rallies demanding a negotiated deal for the release of their loved ones.

The Israel Defense Forces has said it believes around a third of the hostages have already died.

"We are deeply grateful that there is finally an agreement between Israel and Hamas to bring our loved ones — Omer, Edan, Sagui, Itay, Keith, Gad, and Judi — home," the families of the American hostages in Gaza said in a statement.

"We have been waiting for 467 days while our family members suffer from life-threatening injuries, abuse, torture, and sexual violence. We thank President Biden, President-elect Trump, and their teams for their constructive efforts to make this possible."

More than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in Israeli strikes since the war began, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, and most of Gaza's population is displaced and living in camps.