ReutersIsrael and Hamas have agreed to a deal that would end the war in Gaza and free Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, US and Qatari mediators said.
It would be the most dramatic achievement in 15 months of war, which began when the Palestinian armed group Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023.
What would happen to the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas?
Details of the agreement reportedly agreed to by both parties have not been announced.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there are still many unresolved issues, which he hopes will be finalized by Wednesday evening.
The final deal will see the war in Gaza stop and the exchange of hostages and prisoners.
Hamas took 251 hostages when it attacked Israel in October 2023. It is still holding 94, although Israel believes only 60 are still alive.
Israel is expected to release about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, some who have been held for years, in return for their hostages.
How would a ceasefire work?
This ceasefire is expected to take place in three phases, once the agreement is announced.
And although the two sides are now said to have agreed to it, Israel’s security cabinet and government must approve the deal before it can be implemented.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said the deal would come into force on Sunday if approved.
Here’s what could be in the deal.
The first section
The first phase will take six weeks and there will be a “total and complete termination,” US President Joe Biden said as he confirmed that an agreement had been reached on Wednesday.
A “number of hostages” held by Hamas, including women, the elderly and the sick, will be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, Biden said.
He did not specify how many would be released.
Israeli government spokesman David Mencer previously said that 33 kidnapped people, including children, will be traded.
Most but not all of the 33 hostages are believed to be alive, he said.
The three captives will be released immediately, a Palestinian official previously told the BBCand other exchanges take place within six weeks.
During this time, the Israeli army will evacuate “all” the inhabited areas of Gaza, said Biden, while “the Palestinians”. [could] and return to their places in all areas of Gaza.”
Almost all of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have had to leave their homes due to Israeli evacuation orders, Israeli attacks and ground fighting.
There will also be an increase in the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, with hundreds of trucks allowed each day.
Earlier, the Palestinian official said that detailed negotiations on the second and third phases would begin on the 16th day of the ceasefire.
Biden said the ceasefire would continue “as long as negotiations continue”.
The second stage
The second phase will be “the end of war forever,” according to Biden.
The remaining hostages, including men, will be released in exchange for the return of other Palestinian prisoners.
Of the 1,000 Palestinian prisoners Israel is believed to have agreed to release in total, about 190 are serving sentences of 15 years or more.
Former Israeli official he told the BBC that those convicted of murder would not be released from the West Bank.
There will also be a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
The third stage
The third and final phase will involve the reconstruction of Gaza – something that could take years – and the return of any remaining bodies of hostages.
ReutersWhat are the unanswered questions about the agreement?
Getting to this point has taken months of difficult indirect negotiations, not least because Israel and Hamas don’t completely trust each other.
Hamas wanted a complete end to the war before releasing the hostages, something that was unacceptable to Israel.
A ceasefire will stop the war while its goals are being worked out.
However, it is not clear whether it will mean that the war is over forever.
One of the main goals of Israel’s war has been to destroy Hamas’ military and ruling power. Although Israel has badly damaged it, Hamas still has the ability to operate and regroup.
It is also not clear which of the hostages are alive or dead or if Hamas knows the whereabouts of all those whose whereabouts are unknown.
On the other hand, Hamas demanded the release of other prisoners that Israel would not release. This is believed to include those involved in the October 7 attack.
It is also not known whether Israel will agree to withdraw from the buffer zone on a certain date, or whether its presence will remain open.
Any ceasefire is likely to be fragile.
The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that has halted previous wars has been rocked by hostilities and eventually collapsed.
The timetable and complexity of this armistice means that even a small incident can turn into a major threat.
What happened on 7 October 2023 and what happened in Gaza?
Hundreds of gunmen led by Hamas launched an unprecedented attack in southern Israel, breaching the border fence and targeting communities, police stations and military camps.
About 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 hostages were returned to Gaza. Hamas also fired thousands of rockets into Israel.
Israel responded with a major military campaign, first with air strikes and then with ground attacks. Since then, Israel has attacked targets throughout Gaza by land, sea and air, while Hamas has attacked Israel with rockets.
Israel’s offensive has devastated Gaza and led to severe famine, with aid struggling to reach those who need it most. More than 46,700 people – most of them civilians – have been killed by Israeli attacks, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
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