The National Times - Mediators announce Gaza truce, but Israel says some points 'uresolved'

A source briefed on the latest talks in Doha told AFP that a "Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal (was) reached following (the) Qatari PM's meeting with Hamas negotiators and separately Israeli negotiators in his office".

A US official confirmed the deal, which came in the final days of the administration of President Joe Biden, who had pushed strongly for an accord.

But the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said some issues in the framework remained "unresolved", though it expressed hope the agreement would be "finalised tonight".

Demonstrators in Tel Aviv calling for the release of the hostages embraced as news of the agreement spread, while thousands across Gaza celebrated the reported deal to halt the hostilities that have devastated much of the Palestinian territory.

"I can't believe that this nightmare of more than a year is finally coming to an end. We have lost so many people, we've lost everything," said Randa Sameeh, a 45-year-old displaced from Gaza City to the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

Pressure to put an end to the fighting had ratcheted up in recent days, as mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States intensified efforts to cement an agreement.

- Trump hails 'EPIC' deal -

The announcement comes after months of failed bids to end the deadliest war in Gaza's history, and days ahead of the inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump, who immediately hailed the deal before it was officially announced by the White House.

"We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly. Thank you!" Trump said on his Truth Social network.

Trump had warned Hamas of "hell to pay" if it did not free the remaining captives before he took office, and envoys from both his incoming administration and Biden's outgoing one had been present at the latest negotiations.

"This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November," Trump added in a lengthy second post.

The president-elect added that his White House would "continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven".

Hamas sparked the war in Gaza by staging the deadliest-ever attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.

Palestinian militants also took 251 people hostage during the attack, 94 of whom are still being held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory campaign in Gaza has killed 46,707 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry that the UN considers reliable.

- Three phases -

Egypt's state-linked Al-Qahera news outlet reported that the framework agreement comprised three interconnected phases.

Al-Qahera cited an Egyptian security source as saying coordination was "underway" to reopen the Rafah crossing on Gaza's border with Egypt "to allow the entry of international aid to improve conditions".

State-owned Al-Ahram newspaper also reported that talks were underway to open the crossing.

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer had previously said the first phase of a deal would see 33 Israeli hostages freed, while two Palestinian sources close to Hamas told AFP that Israel would release about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange.

A source close to Hamas said that the initial hostage release would be "in batches, starting with children and women".

Negotiations for a second phase would commence on the truce's 16th day, an Israeli official said, with media reports saying it would see the release of the remaining captives.

- Sticking points -

Among the sticking points in successive rounds of talks had been disagreements over the permanence of any ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the scale of humanitarian aid for the Palestinian territory.

The UN's Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, facing an Israeli ban on its activities set to take effect later this month, said it will continue providing much-needed aid.

Netanyahu, who vowed to crush Hamas in retaliation for the October 7 attack, has opposed any post-war role for the militant group in the territory.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday Israel would ultimately "have to accept reuniting Gaza and the West Bank under the leadership of a reformed" Palestinian Authority, and embrace a "path toward forming an independent Palestinian state".

He added that the "best incentive" to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace remained the prospect of normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The October 7 attack on communities in southern Israel sparked uproar around the world, as did the scale of the suffering in Gaza from the retaliatory war.

World powers and international organisations have for months pushed for a ceasefire, which up until Wednesday had remained elusive.

F.Hammond--TNT