What to know about the Gaza ceasefire deal

Hamas and Israel have reached a ceasefire and hostage release deal after more than 15 months of bloodshed in Gaza, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said a “last-minute crisis” was holding up his cabinet’s approval of the deal.

Here’s what we know so far:

Protesters in Tel Aviv calling for the return of hostages held in the Gaza Strip react after a ceasefire and hostage release deal was reached.Credit: Getty Images

How would the Gaza ceasefire deal work?

US President Joe Biden has confirmed it would be a three-phase deal, similar to one he put forward in May. Bear in mind, much can happen at each stage to impact the next.

Phase one would begin with a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas of Gaza, and the release of 33 Israeli hostages held by Hamas, starting with women, the elderly and the wounded. Israel will also release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza. The agreement leaves the fate of most of the remaining 98 Israeli hostages still in Gaza unresolved for now, though it is not clear how many are alive.

The release of the first 33 hostages would be staggered, according to international press reports. Three women will be released on the first day of the deal, followed by four the day after, and the remainder in the next five weeks.

For each Israeli hostage returned in this phase, the country would have to hand over between 30 and 50 Palestinian prisoners, the press reports say.

Under the reported deal, Israeli forces in Gaza will withdraw from the south of the territory and gather in a central area.

Phase two would begin in six weeks, and it is hoped it will be “a permanent end to the war” – but if negotiations to that end take longer than six weeks, “the ceasefire will continue as long as the negotiations continue”, Biden said.

In phase three, the last of the remains of hostages who have been killed would be returned to their families, and a major reconstruction plan for Gaza will begin.

Who negotiated and approved the deal?

Negotiators from the US, Israel, Egypt, Qatar and Hamas have been meeting on and off for months, hosted by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Doha, to arrive at a ceasefire. Top envoys from the Biden administration have been at the table, and US President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy joined the negotiations in the past few weeks.

It is understood Israel’s team at the final stages included the chiefs of its Mossad and Shin Bet spy agencies.

What happens next?

The Qatari leader has called for calm in the Gaza Strip between now and January 19, when the ceasefire will commence.

The deal needs approval from Netanyahu’s security cabinet, then his full cabinet. It was hoped this approval would come immediately after the deal was announced, but a vote has been delayed.

Netanyahu accused Hamas of making last-minute demands, and his hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he would resign if the government ratified the deal, saying it was reckless. “If this irresponsible deal is approved and implemented, we the members of Jewish Power will submit letters of resignation to the prime minister,” Ben-Gvir said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday the mediators were working to tie up a “loose end” at the last minute and that the ceasefire should start on Sunday as planned. Blinken has made 12 trips to the Middle East for these talks and ends his term with Biden on January 20.

Outgoing US President Joe Biden announces the ceasefire deal at the White House. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on his right.Credit: Bloomberg

An official list of names for the trade of hostages and imprisoned Palestinians has not yet been officially released. The BBC published a list of 33 hostages on Monday and updated it on Thursday, and The New York Times said Netanyahu’s office appeared to confirm its authenticity. The BBC, however, said the list may change “as some people feared kidnapped are confirmed to have been killed or released”.

Much-needed aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is expected to start to flow again when the truce finally starts.

The US says it wants to see aid deliveries to Gaza reach more than 500 trucks a day. “We’re looking at a massive infusion of trucks … It won’t happen overnight, but we want to get up to over 500 trucks a day,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: “It is imperative that this ceasefire removes the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid across Gaza so that we can support a major increase in urgent lifesaving humanitarian support.”

What has the reaction been?

Photographs from Gaza and Tel Aviv showed people rejoicing over the news of the deal as it was announced. In Tel Aviv, protesters – who have for months been demanding Netanyahu bring their hostage relatives and friends home – appeared to celebrate the moment, while in Gaza, crowds jumped for joy and waved flags.

But some people have also protested the deal, including in Jerusalem, where some Israelis marched through the streets carrying mock coffins, blocking roads and scuffling with police.

Trump was the first to announce the deal on his Truth Social platform, followed by the Qatari PM and Biden. Several world leaders have joined the chorus of approval, expressing cautious hope that the deal will come to fruition.

“Fighting in Gaza will stop, and soon the hostages return home to their families. For the Palestinian people, a credible, credible pathway to a state of their own. And for the region, a future of normalisation, integration of Israel and all its Arab neighbours, including Saudi Arabia,” Biden said.

“We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly. Thank you!” Trump said.

“With this deal in place, my National Security team, through the efforts of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven,” he said in a second post.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli leader had spoken with both Trump and Biden to thank them for their roles in negotiating the deal.

In a joint statement, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong heralded the development as a constructive step towards peace and stability in the troubled region. “It must mark the beginning of a new chapter for the Israeli and Palestinian people,” they said.

“We hope it will allow the Palestinian people the opportunity to rebuild, reform their governance, and pursue self-determination. There must be no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza. Any future Palestinian state must not be in a position to threaten Israel’s security.”

Guterres said: “The United Nations stands ready to support the implementation of this deal and scale up the delivery of sustained humanitarian relief to the countless Palestinians who continue to suffer.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters in Ankara the deal was an important step for regional stability and that Turkish efforts for a two-state solution would continue.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi welcomed the deal on a post on X, and stressed the importance of fast delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The Tikva Forum, a conservative group of hostage families, said it was “deeply concerned” about the deal because it did not guarantee the release of all hostages and could allow Hamas to remain in power in Gaza.

What happens if the war resumes after a deal is struck?

We’ve been here before. Ceasefires are routinely broken, but also held if the transgressions aren’t existential to the deal (the current Israeli ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon is an example).

Biden said negotiations would continue during the six weeks that it will take to sign off on the final phase, and that the ceasefire will continue during these negotiations.

The deal does not start until January 19. This gives both sides time to get organised, but also leaves the field open for military strikes.

If talks over the second – and more difficult – phase of the ceasefire deal break down, the war could resume, although many are trying to make sure it doesn’t.

With AP, Reuters

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