Israel, Hamas Agree To Initial Hostage And Ceasefire Deal

Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas have reached the first stage of a ceasefire agreement that would begin the process of freeing Israeli hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, allowing residents of northern Gaza to safely return to their homes, and withdrawing Israeli military forces from the strip.

Much still depends on the implementation of the deal, which is set to occur in three stages. But there is now, at more than any time since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023, a glimmer of hope for the long-suffering people of Gaza, devastated by a ferocious Israeli invasion, and for the families of the 98 Israeli hostages ― many of whom are dead ― whom the Israeli government believes remain in Hamas captivity.

The outcome provides an early political win for President-elect Donald Trump ― and a belated and bittersweet one for President Joe Biden, whose many months of start-and-stop diplomacy leading up to the deal sparked internal frustration and political backlash.

Trump is sure to credit his own pressure tactics since winning the November election for sealing the accord. He warned that “all hell will break out” if Hamas did not release the Israeli hostages by his inauguration on Jan. 20. With the permission of the Biden administration, Trump also dispatched Steve Witkoff, his Middle East envoy, to oversee multilateral negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Qatar, where Egyptian, Qatari and U.S. officials served as mediators. Witkoff reportedly also exerted pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a surprise meeting on Saturday, according to a report in Haaretz quoting an Israeli senior diplomat.

Matt Duss, executive vice president of the left-leaning Center for International Policy, said Tuesday that the emerging deal was “good news,” but “long overdue.”

“Trump’s pressure seems to have made a difference here, which reflects badly on Biden,” said Duss, who has been critical of Biden for not exerting more pressure on the Israeli government. “The key question is what enforcement mechanisms there will be from phase to phase.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.