CAIRO — Israel and the Palestinian militant movement Hamas agreed to a ceasefire to end 15 months of devastating conflict in the Gaza Strip, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced Wednesday.
The agreement, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, is set to take effect Sunday. It includes a phased truce, a prisoner and hostage exchange, and expanded humanitarian aid to the devastated, war-torn Palestinian enclave.
The ceasefire follows months of intense diplomacy, marked by repeated false starts and last-minute obstacles. Although the broad outlines of the agreement were established in mid-2024, disagreements over implementation repeatedly delayed progress.
“This agreement is the result of determined efforts to bring peace to Gaza,” Sheikh Mohammed said at a press conference in Doha. “Our priority now is ensuring its implementation and addressing the humanitarian needs of Gaza’s people.”
Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in Gaza to celebrate news of the ceasefire. The reaction was more muted in Israel, where groups representing the still-missing hostages held vigils, hoping the accord would bring their loved ones home. Most of those gathered in Tel Aviv praised the deal, but The Times of Israel reported that hundreds of right-wing protesters staged a march and blocked key intersections.
President Biden and President-elect Donald Trump quickly embraced the agreement, which paused the raging conflict in the Middle East just days before Mr. Trump returns to the White House. Qatari officials said the combined diplomacy of representatives from the outgoing and incoming presidents played a key role in bringing the accord to a conclusion.
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“In these past few days, we’ve been speaking as one team,” Mr. Biden said in remarks at the White House, flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He said he told his team to “coordinate closely” with incoming Trump officials.
“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,” he said.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump said the deal is evidence that his foreign policy team is racking up victories for the U.S. even before his inauguration on Monday. Mr. Trump said his November election victory “signaled to the entire world that my administration would seek peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our allies.”
Senior Biden administration officials credited the presence of Mr. Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. Mr. Witkoff joined the marathon 96-hour talks to clinch a deal this week and held talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure Israeli backing for the emerging deal.
Israel’s government said Mr. Netanyahu talked with Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden by phone Wednesday after the news broke to thank them for their efforts on behalf of the hostages.
Temporary truce for now
The hard-won agreement brings only a temporary pause to the fighting sparked by Hamas’ deadly terrorist rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and a retaliatory campaign by Israeli forces that has brought death and destruction to large swaths of the densely populated Gaza Strip.
The agreement’s first phase, lasting 42 days, focuses on immediate measures to ease tensions and address humanitarian needs. Diplomats hope to negotiate a longer-term agreement as the accord is carried out.
Key provisions of the deal call for Hamas to release 33 Israeli and foreign hostages, including women, children and elderly civilians, in exchange for a much larger number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Israeli forces will withdraw from populated areas in Gaza, including the contentious Philadelphi Corridor. The key Rafah border crossing will reopen to allow the daily entry of 600 trucks carrying badly needed humanitarian aid to the 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza.
World leaders rushed to praise the news that a deal had been struck, but some cautioned that hard bargaining over Gaza’s status lay ahead.
“This deal is a critical first step, but we must mobilize all efforts to also advance broader goals, including the preservation of the unity, contiguity and integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. “Palestinian unity is essential for achieving lasting peace and stability, and I emphasize that unified Palestinian governance must remain a top priority.”
Mr. Biden said the second phase of the deal will attempt to forge a permanent end to the fighting, along with the release of all the remaining living hostages held by Hamas, including male soldiers.
All remaining Israeli forces would move out of Gaza. The third phase of the agreement would focus on the vast reconstruction needs of the Gaza Strip.
“All told, these developments in the region, which the United States helped to shape, change the equation …,” Mr. Biden said. “The Palestinian people have gone through hell. Too many innocent people have died. Too many communities have been destroyed. Under this deal, the people of Gaza can finally recover and rebuild. They can look to a future without Hamas.”
Egypt played a critical role in brokering the deal, hosting talks with Hamas and coordinating with Israel. President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi emphasized Egypt’s commitment to supporting Gaza and stabilizing the region.
“We will always stand by the Palestinian people,” Mr. el-Sissi said. “Our efforts are focused on ensuring peace and protecting lives.”
An Egyptian-Qatari joint commission will oversee the ceasefire’s implementation and monitor aid delivery. Cairo’s logistical preparations have been described as one of the most extensive humanitarian operations in recent history.
Mr. Netanyahu’s Cabinet was set to meet Thursday to approve the accord. Some hard-line nationalists in the coalition government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have vowed to oppose the deal. Mr. Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party, emphasized the need for “total victory” and the “complete destruction of Hamas” while expressing skepticism about the agreement’s phased-release structure.
“We are at a crucial and fateful moment for the security, future and existence of the state of Israel. I won’t rest or be silent until we achieve these goals,” Mr. Smotrich said in a video statement.
The deal’s phased structure also has raised concerns within the coalition, as hard-line members demand assurances that war goals, such as the complete dismantling of Hamas’ military infrastructure, remain central to Israel’s strategy. Mr. Netanyahu has worked to balance those demands with the international pressure to secure a ceasefire and address humanitarian needs in Gaza.
Mr. Netanyahu has faced mounting pressure from the months-long protests in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square, which was renamed Hostages Square during the conflict. The protests, driven by families of hostages and their supporters, have underscored public frustration with the government’s handling of the crisis.
Political analysts in Jerusalem say the Netanyahu government appears to have the clout to push the deal through the Knesset, with opposition parties supporting the ceasefire deal as well.
Humanitarian crisis
According to Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health figures that cannot be independently confirmed, more than 46,000 Palestinian fighters and civilians have been killed, 11,000 are missing, and more than 100,000 displaced since the start of Israeli airstrikes in the 15 months of fighting. Infrastructure destruction has left most of Gaza’s population without access to essential services such as water, electricity or health care, and many top Hamas political and military commanders have been killed in clashes with Israeli forces.
“The suffering must end,” said Rami Kullab, a strategic planner from Khan Younis. “Civilians in Gaza need protection and humanitarian aid. The hostages need to come home.”
Fedaa Zeyad, a teacher and writer from Gaza City who was displaced to Deir El Balah because of the war, expressed the complex emotions of the moment: “Honestly, the feeling of the war ending is like the feeling of a survivor, carrying both sadness and joy. Perhaps naively, I asked myself, ‘Why did all this happen?’ and this question has been stuck in my mind since the first day of the war. I am mostly very anxious about what comes after the deal. Our experience with the occupation makes us certain that nothing is safe. However, I have a glimmer of hope that the war and the region’s need to finalize the arrangements for a new Middle East will bring some reassurance.”
Although the agreement has sparked hope, families of Israeli hostages have voiced concerns over its phased-release structure. Only 33 Israeli and foreign hostages will be freed in the first phase, leaving the fate of roughly 70 others uncertain. Two Americans are said to be among those to be released in the first round, Mr. Biden revealed.
Sharon Sharabi, whose family member is among the hostages, said, “Without a clear deadline for the release of everyone, we fear some may never come home.”
Gil Dickmann, whose cousin Carmel Gat was killed in captivity, criticized the lack of guarantees. “It’s been 465 days since Oct. 7, and there’s still no agreement to bring all the hostages back,” he said. “We don’t want to leave anyone behind or hear about more captives being murdered like Carmel.”
Families urged Mr. Netanyahu to establish a fixed timeline for the release of all hostages. They emphasized the emotional toll and uncertainty they face.
Uncertain future for Hamas
Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, also faces growing criticism over its governance. Allegations of corruption, mismanagement and prioritizing political agendas over civilian needs have eroded its domestic and international support.
“Hamas’ governance has caused immense suffering,” Mr. Kullab said. “The people of Gaza deserve better leadership and a brighter future.”
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, warned against allowing Hamas to frame the ceasefire as a victory. “Hamas will try to spin this as a triumph, but the people of Gaza won’t see it that way,” he said.
Hamas leaders praised the ceasefire as a “turning point” in the conflict and thanked mediators for their roles. Meanwhile, Israeli officials acknowledged unresolved details but expressed confidence in the agreement’s implementation.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has committed to facilitating the agreement’s implementation, particularly overseeing the release of hostages and detainees.
“We are ready to facilitate any release operation as agreed by the parties so that hostages and detainees can return home,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said during a visit to Jerusalem. “We are also prepared to massively scale up our humanitarian response in Gaza, where the situation demands it.”
Ms. Spoljaric emphasized the ICRC’s commitment to ensuring that all parties respect the rules of war. “Civilians in Gaza need protection and humanitarian aid. The hostages need to come home. This is only possible with political commitment from all sides to put humanity first.”
Despite the optimism surrounding the ceasefire, significant challenges remain. Gaza’s political future is uncertain, with lingering questions about governance, reconstruction and accountability. Sustaining the fragile truce will require continued international cooperation and rigorous oversight.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who urged the Netanyahu government to endorse the deal, captured the gravity of the moment by reflecting on the plight of the hostages: “We save them. We free them. We bring them home urgently, down to the last one.”
• Staff writers Jeff Mordock and Mallory Wilson contributed to this article, which is based in part on wire service reports.
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