Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages, according to two officials involved in the talks. Mediator Qatar announced that the negotiations are at the “closest point” yet to sealing a deal.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the proposed agreement, confirmed as authentic by an Egyptian official and a Hamas official. An Israeli official noted progress has been made, but details are still being finalized. The plan will need to be submitted to the Israeli Cabinet for final approval. All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks.
Over the past year, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar have been mediating to end the 15-month war and secure the release of hostages captured in Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack. Approximately 100 Israelis remain captive in Gaza, with the military believing at least a third of them are dead.
Officials are optimistic about concluding an agreement before the January 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, whose Mideast envoy has joined the negotiations. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari stated that ongoing negotiations are positive and productive, although he declined to provide details of the sensitive talks.
“Today, we are at the closest point ever to having a deal,” he said.
Hamas also stated that negotiations had reached their “final stage.” The offensive has reduced large areas of Gaza to rubble and displaced around 90% of its 2.3 million population, with hundreds of thousands in tent camps along the coast, where hunger is widespread.
Israeli strikes across Gaza overnight and into Tuesday killed at least 18 Palestinians, including two women and four children. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired two missiles at Israel, triggering sirens and sending people into shelters. No injuries were reported.
A Three-Phase Agreement
The proposed agreement, based on a framework by U.S. President Joe Biden and endorsed by the U.N. Security Council, involves a three-phase process. The first phase includes the gradual release of 33 hostages over six weeks, including women, children, older adults, and wounded civilians, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian women and children imprisoned by Israel. Among the 33 hostages, five female Israeli soldiers would be exchanged for 50 Palestinian prisoners, including 30 convicted militants serving life sentences. By the end of the first phase, all civilian captives—living or dead—would be released.
During this first 42-day phase, Israeli forces would withdraw from population centers, allowing Palestinians to return to their homes in northern Gaza, and a surge of humanitarian aid would be facilitated, with around 600 trucks entering daily.
Details of the second phase still need to be negotiated during the first phase. The agreement does not include written guarantees for the ceasefire’s continuation until a deal is reached, potentially allowing Israel to resume its military campaign after the first phase.
The three mediators have given Hamas verbal guarantees that negotiations will continue as planned and that they will press for a deal to implement the second and third phases before the first phase ends.
Throughout the first phase, Israel would retain control of the Philadelphi Corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt, while withdrawing from the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza.
In the second phase, Hamas would release the remaining living captives, primarily male soldiers, in exchange for more prisoners and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, according to the draft agreement. However, Hamas insists on not freeing the remaining hostages without ending the war and a complete Israeli withdrawal, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to resume fighting unless Hamas’s military and governing capabilities are eliminated.
An alternative government for Gaza would need to be negotiated to avoid leaving Hamas in charge of the territory.
In the third phase, the bodies of remaining hostages would be returned in exchange for a three- to five-year reconstruction plan in Gaza under international supervision.
Growing Pressure Ahead of Trump’s Inauguration
Israel and Hamas are under renewed pressure to halt the conflict before Trump’s inauguration. His Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, has joined U.S., Egyptian, and Qatari mediators in Doha.
Trump expressed optimism about a ceasefire, stating, “I understand … there’s been a handshake and they are getting it finished—and maybe by the end of the week,” he told Newsmax.
Hamas has blamed Israel for setbacks in the negotiations, claiming that Israel rejected proposals or launched military operations after agreements were made. Israel and its close ally, the United States, have blamed Hamas for the setbacks.
Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted another 250. Around half of those hostages were freed during a brief ceasefire in November 2023. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Strikes in Gaza Continue
Two strikes in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah overnight killed two women and their four children, ranging in age from 1 month to 9 years old. One of the women was pregnant, and the baby did not survive. Another 12 people were killed in two strikes on the southern city of Khan Younis.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which claims to target militants and accuses them of hiding among civilians.
Yemeni Rebels Fire Missiles at Israel
The war has spread across the region, igniting over a year of fighting between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants, ending with a tense ceasefire in November. Israel has also engaged in direct fire with Iran, which backs Hamas, Hezbollah, and Yemen’s Houthis.
The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen early Tuesday and reported another missile intercepted earlier. Several homes outside Jerusalem were damaged.
The Houthis, who captured Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, have launched missile and drone attacks on Israel and international shipping in the Red Sea, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians.
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