Anthony Albanese ‘hopeful’ of ceasefire in Gaza amid peace deal murmurs

Anthony Albanese has responded to murmurs Israel and Hamas are close to striking a peace deal in war-torn Gaza.

Anthony Albanese says he is “hopeful of a ceasefire” in Gaza amid murmurs Israel and Hamas are close to striking a peace deal.

The Prime Minister said on Wednesday an end to the fighting in the Palestinian territory was “in the interests of both Israelis and those in the Occupied Palestinian Territories”.

Anthony Albanese says he is ‘hopeful of a ceasefire’ in Gaza. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“We have been calling for some time for hostages to be released,” Mr Albanese told reporters.

“We want Hamas to have no role in the future of that region, and we want a ceasefire in the interests of both Israelis and those in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, so we are hopeful of a ceasefire, that would be a good thing.

“I think that is what overwhelmingly Australians want to see and, indeed, the international community wants to see as well.”

The Albanese government has been a loud global advocate for a ceasefire and a critic of how Israel has conducted its casualty-heavy war.

Relations have not been helped by a spate of anti-Semitic incidents in Australia’s biggest cities since the conflict broke out.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apportioned some of the blame to Labor, accusing it of taking an “extreme anti-Israel position”.

Murmurs a ceasefire between Israel and Islamist militants in Gaza is imminent has sparked cautious hope among global governments. Picture: Jack Guez / AFP

Israeli officials have been backgrounding media on details of the highly anticipated proposed peace deal as domestic and international pressure mounts on Mr Netanyahu to end the conflict.

Loosely, the remaining 94 Israeli hostages held by Hamas would be released in exchange for a truce.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has said a majority in Israel’s government would support the deal if it was reached.

The post-conflict plan we've been working on with our partners would allow Israel to fully withdraw from Gaza, prevent Hamas from filling back in, and provide for Gaza's governance, security, and reconstruction. I shared some of its core elements today at the @AtlanticCouncil. pic.twitter.com/FofDb9ADxD

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) January 14, 2025

Meanwhile, the Biden administration and Donald Trump’s foreign affairs team have been far more public, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday evening (local time) releasing some details of the plan for post-war Gaza.

But fresh air strikes overnight served a stark reminder that the a deal had certainly not yet been struck.

Israel launched its military action in Gaza after Hamas killed more than 1200 people in its brutal October 7 terrorist attacks in 2023.

The attacks represent the largest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust.

The Israeli response has decimated the Islamist group.

Originally published as Anthony Albanese ‘hopeful’ of ceasefire in Gaza amid peace deal murmurs