**Disclaimer: This is a developing story.**
On Wednesday, Jan. 15, a temporary ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was announced. At a news conference in Doha, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated that the agreement is set to be implemented on Sunday but is required to be ratified by the Israeli cabinet, with votes slated for Thursday.
UPDATE: As of Thursday, Jan. 16, the vote to ratify the deal has been delayed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he postponed the meeting due to last-minute changes from Hamas. “Hamas reneges on parts of the agreement reached with the mediators,” he stated. Hamas denies this, with a spokesperson telling CNN that Hamas is “committed to the ceasefire agreement that was announced by the mediators.”
In a morning report with MSNBC, Whitehouse National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the Biden administration is confident that the deal will be implemented on Sunday as planned.
At the same time, members of the Israeli government, including the police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, have reportedly threatened to quit if Netanhyahu’s government agrees to a ceasefire that lasts more than six weeks. Political analysts with CNN say this is evidence of Netanyahu’s lack of support from his political party going into the final negotiations and that if he commits to restarting the war after 42 days, the agreement could collapse before being put in place.
Shortly after the announcement of the deal came reports of continued Israeli airstrikes resulting in at least 77 casualties on Wednesday, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense.
The news of the ceasefire deal comes from joint statements released on Wednesday evening by the deal’s mediator countries: the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that he will make an official announcement regarding the deal only after the details of the agreement are finalized.
If taken into effect, this agreement would mark the second ceasefire of the conflict since the weeklong ceasefire in November 2023.
What Does the Deal Entail?
According to The New York Times, the agreement begins with a six-week period in which Hamas would release 33 hostages. In return, Israel would release multiple Palestinian prisoners for each hostage and allow 600 trucks carrying humanitarian relief entry into Gaza. Additionally, if ratified, the deal would require Israel to move its forces east, allowing Palestinians displaced in southern Gaza to return to the north.
During these six weeks, Israel and Hamas will begin negotiations for the second stage of the agreement, involving a permanent ceasefire after living hostages are returned and all Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza. During Wednesday’s White House press conference, Biden described this stage as a permanent end to the war and clarified that if negotiations take longer than the initial six-week period, the ceasefire will continue to stay in place.
A third and final phase would seek for a full reconstruction of Gaza and the return of the remains of hostages to their families.
President Biden states the deal will “halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity.”
The Path to the Deal
The deal follows over a year of several protests calling for a ceasefire — notably, at college campuses across the U.S. last spring. Students across the country, including Columbia University, Yale University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Florida State University, hosted protests and encampments. Demands other than those for a ceasefire varied by campus, though many students called for their institutions to cut financial ties with Israel and to be transparent about those ties. Since last spring, many universities have implemented stricter rules regarding these protests.
In President Biden’s statement, he says, “I laid out the precise contours of this plan on May 31, 2024, after which it was endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council.” Similarly, Vice President Kamala Harris thanked mediators Emir al-Thani of Qatar and President el-Sisi of Egypt, as well as Biden in her statement.
During the final rounds of negotiations for the ceasefire deal, President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Whitkoff, met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu last Saturday. Brett H. McGurk, President Biden’s longtime Middle East negotiator, was also on the phone and in conversation.
Netanyahu’s office wrote on X that he spoke with Trump and Biden, expressing his thanks to them. The post also confirmed future meetings between Netanyahu and Trump, writing that “the two decided to meet in Washington soon in order to discuss this and other important issues.”
Trump has claimed credit for the deal on Truth Social, a social media platform owned by the Trump Media & Technology Group.
Trump wrote, “This epic ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our historic victory in November, as it signaled to the entire world that my administration would seek peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans and our allies. I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.”
At the end of Wednesday’s White House press conference, reporters asked Biden how much credit he gives to the Trump team for this deal. Biden stated that he “told [his] team to coordinate closely with the incoming team to make sure [they’re] all speaking with the same voice because that’s what American presidents do.”
As the conference concluded, a reporter asked Biden who should receive credit for the deal. “Mr. President, you or Trump?” In response, Biden asked the reporter, “Is that a joke?” The reporter replied, “No,” to which Biden thanked the reporters before taking his leave.
The International Response
Some leaders within the Israeli government have called on the cabinet to support the agreement, including Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who stated, “At great cost in blood, through enormous security, diplomatic, and societal efforts, we have created a moment of opportunity. We must seize it.”
Beyond this, humanitarian organizations and other world leaders have spoken out in support of the deal.
Leaders of nations that have recognized Palestine as an independent state, including Ireland, Spain, and Norway, have welcomed the news. Ireland’s Taoiseach, Simon Harris, stated: “I hope that all sides will seize this opportunity and that the international community plays its part too, surging aid into Gaza, supporting a renewed Palestinian Authority to bring stability and governance to Gaza, and working to put a process in place that can lead to peace.”
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, is quoted as saying that “Peace is the best medicine” but that “health needs in Gaza remain enormous.” In addition, UNICEF has released a statement welcoming the deal. The UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell, states, “The scale of humanitarian needs is enormous, and UNICEF and partners are ready to scale up our response.”
Similarly, Mirjana Spoljaric, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, states that while this is a new beginning, the coming days are critical and dependent on both parties holding to their commitments.
“While the agreement is welcome, it is not the end. There are immense humanitarian needs that must be addressed, which will take months, if not years,” Spoljaric states.
The deal still requires ratification from Israel’s cabinet before it can take effect. If ratified, the ceasefire will officially begin on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025.
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