Negotiators for Israel and Hamas agreed to a deal to pause fighting in the Gaza Strip, Arab mediators and the U.S. said on Wednesday, opening a pathway to end a 15-month war that laid waste to the enclave, sparked a wider regional war and roiled politics in the West.
The cease-fire agreement would take effect on Sunday, said Qatar's prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. He said Qatar, alongside Egypt and the U.S.-all of whom helped mediate the agreement-will work to ensure its implementation.
President Isaac Herzog of Israel welcomed the cease-fire deal, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to approve it.
Netanyahu's office said a number of details were pending completion but they were expected to be resolved soon. A main pending issue is the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel in exchange for the hostages in Gaza, an Israeli official said.
The accord needs approval by Israel's security cabinet and government. The cabinet is expected to vote on it on Thursday.
Shortly after the cease-fire agreement was announced, Hamas' acting Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya confirmed in a televised address that the group had reached a deal with Israel.
The deal is to be implemented in phases, beginning with the exchange of some of the hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and moving on to talks over a broader end to the fighting.
This story is from the January 16, 2025 edition of The Wall Street Journal.
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This story is from the January 16, 2025 edition of The Wall Street Journal.
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