Israel And Hamas Reach Ceasefire Deal

Israel and Hamas are zeroing in on a ceasefire and hostage release deal, with an Israeli official telling The Hill that Hamas has agreed to terms.

Shortly after news reports emerged late Wednesday morning, President-elect Trump celebrated on Truth Social.

"WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!"

No announcement had been made by the Biden administration as of noon Wednesday.

The deal would open the door for a possible end to more than a year of fighting since Hama’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack against Israel, and Israel’s subsequent war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. 

The Israeli security cabinet will have to vote to accept the terms of the deal, and then a second vote will go before Israel’s parliament, the Knesset. If the deal passes both those votes, there will also be time for appeals against the deal to be brought to the Supreme Court.

Trump had warned of "all hell" breaking loose in the Middle East if Hamas did not release hostages before he is sworn into office on Jan. 20, and his special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, worked closely with President Biden's negotiators to reach a conclusion of the deal. 

An Israeli official told The Hill that the process should now move quickly and the ceasefire could start as soon as Friday.

President-elect Trump reacted on his social media site Truth Social, "WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!"

Trump had warned of "all hell" breaking loose in the Middle East if Hamas did not release hostages before he is sworn into office on Jan. 20, and his special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, worked closely with President Biden's negotiators to reach a conclusion of the deal. 

Updated: 12:13