Israel strikes a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement with Hamas in Gaza.

Israel strikes a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement with Hamas in Gaza.

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According to a U.S. official, Israel and the Palestinian organization Hamas agreed a new ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza on Wednesday, ending months of impasse and more than 15 months of war.

According to an official briefed on the negotiations, the agreement, which has not yet been made public, calls for a six-week initial ceasefire phase, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian detainees held by Israel.

The United States, Qatar, and Egypt mediated the deal, which is anticipated to be implemented in three stages. The goal of the truce is to put a stop to the war that has destroyed Gaza and caused instability in the Middle East. It occurs just a few days before Donald Trump, the 47th president of the United States, was inaugurated in.

The arrangement also follows multiple rounds of negotiations that failed to provide a follow-up to an agreement made in November of last year that resulted in the release of 105 captives during a week-long truce. Before hostilities erupted, 150 Palestinian inmates detained in Israel were released as part of the arrangement. Read more