Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement to end the 15-month Gaza war, according to an official

By Oliver

Published on:

Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement to end the 15-month Gaza war, according to an official

DOHA/JERUSALEM – Israel and Hamas reached an agreement to halt fighting in Gaza and exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, an official briefed on the matter told Reuters on Wednesday, paving the way for an end to a 15-month war that has upended the Middle East.

The agreement came just before US President-elect Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, following months of on-and-off negotiations brokered by Egyptian and Qatari mediators with US backing.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas-led gunmen broke through security barriers and attacked Israeli communities, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and kidnapping more than 250 foreign and Israeli hostages.

According to Gaza health ministry figures, Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed over 46,000 people and turned the narrow coastal enclave into a wasteland of rubble, with hundreds of thousands surviving the winter cold in tents and makeshift shelters.

As his inauguration approached, Trump reiterated his demand for a quick resolution, warning that there would be “hell to pay” if the hostages were not released. His Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, worked with President Joe Biden’s team to finalise the agreement.

In Israel, the release of the hostages may alleviate some of the public outrage directed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government over the Oct. 7 security failure, which resulted in the country’s deadliest single day in history.

The conflict erupted across the Middle East, with Iran-backed proxies in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen attacking Israel in solidarity with Palestinians. The agreement comes after Israel assassinated the leaders of Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, giving it the upper hand.

SOURCE

Recommend For You

Leave a Comment