Us, Qatar Announce Deal To Halt Fighting Between Israel And Hamas

Hamas and Israel have reached a deal to bring a cease-fire to the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages, including some Americans, U.S. and Qatari officials announced Wednesday.

The agreement — which they said includes a six-week pause in fighting starting Sunday — raises hopes that it could prove a permanent end to the 15-month-long war that has killed tens of thousands of people, traumatized the Middle East, and rattled America and Israel’s standing in the world.

It also follows many months of often fitful negotiations and is a boost to President Joe Biden as he prepares to exit office. President-elect Donald Trump’s team was involved in the final days as well, with Trump using tough rhetoric to insist that Hamas agree before his inauguration.

Speaking from the White House, Biden said he was pleased to announce the agreement “at long last,” noting he first suggested a template for this deal in May. Biden added that he looked forward to welcoming home the Americans held hostage for more than a year.

“The road to this deal has not been easy,” Biden said. “I’ve worked in foreign policy for decades. This is one of the toughest negotiations I’ve ever experienced. We’ve reached this point because — because of the pressure that Israel built on Hamas backed by the United States.”

Biden stopped short of sharing precise figures on the numbers of hostages and prisoners that will be released, saying that information would be “forthcoming.”

At a press conference in Doha, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani explained that the deal will take effect on Sunday and be implemented over the course of six weeks, or 42 days, as Israel withdraws militarily from Gaza toward positions near the border and humanitarian aid surges into the territory. Palestinian prisoners will also be released as part of the deal.

Biden and Al Thani explained that further negotiations will occur over the next six weeks to bring a permanent end to the war in the Gaza Strip and move toward the rebuilding of the enclave, in line with the multi-phase framework Biden set out in May.

Multiple officials had reported that a deal had been clinched earlier Wednesday, only to be followed by a statement from Israel saying there were still details being negotiated.

A statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “there are still several unresolved clauses in the outline, and we hope that the details will be finalized tonight.” It is unclear whether the Qatari and American announcements signify that all remaining Israeli objections to the deal are fully ironed out.

The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Even the broad outline of a deal is a major victory for Biden in his effort to calm tensions in the Middle East before he leaves office next week. The agreement was announced just hours before Biden will deliver a farewell address to the nation in the Oval Office on Wednesday night.

Still, a deal between Israel and Hamas has appeared in reach a number of times over the past year only to fall apart as the two sides tried to hash out contentious details. The U.S. had often blamed Hamas for dragging its feet in negotiations, but Israel also at times refused to ease some of its demands

At the White House on Monday, national security adviser Jake Sullivan acknowledged “there has been a little bit of a Lucy and the football quality” to Gaza cease-fire talks “where we thought we got really close and then it just didn’t happen.” That said, Sullivan insisted prospects were good for a deal.

Members of the incoming Trump administration have been looped in on the deal’s progress. President-elect Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!” He later praised his incoming special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff for his contributions to the deal.

Witkoff was present in Doha for negotiations this week alongside Biden’s top Mideast adviser Brett McGurk.

Biden acknowledged the Trump team’s contributions, saying in his remarks that “for these past few days, we’ve been speaking as one team.”

But when asked by a reporter as he turned to leave whether history would recognize himself or Trump as the architect of the ceasefire, the president scoffed: “Is that a joke?” Biden said before walking away.

The Israeli cabinet would still have to approve the agreement before any deal becomes final. Firebrand Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right figure with strong anti-Palestinian views, threatened on Tuesday to sink any hostage release deal and leave Netanyahu’s government.