Israel, Hamas Reach Ceasefire Deal 15 Months into War
Iranians take part in a funeral procession for late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, on August 1, 2024, ahead of his burial in Qatar. Iran held funeral processions with calls for revenge after the killing in Tehran of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in a strike blamed on Israel. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)
•Over 46,700 killed, 110, 000 injured since conflict started
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
A ceasefire deal that will take off on Sunday has been reached between Israel and Hamas, more than 15 months into the devastating war in Gaza, Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. He said the deal will lead to the release of Israeli captives and increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza. The war in Gaza has killed at least 46,707 Palestinians and wounded 110,265 since October 7, 2023, according to reports.
In the same vein, at least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than 200 were taken captive.
Also, the outgoing US President, Joe Biden, confirmed the deal, saying that “dogged and painstaking American diplomacy” led to the agreement.
“It is the result not only of the extreme pressure that Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran — but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy,” Biden said in a statement.
He noted that he put forward “the precise contours” of the plan in May of last year. “My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done,” he added.
Critics have slammed the Biden administration for failing to condition US aid to Israel in order to pressure the top American ally to agree sooner to end its war on Gaza.
The US provides Israel with at least $3.8 billion in military assistance annually, and researchers at Brown University recently estimated that the Biden administration provided an additional $17.9 billion since the Gaza war began in October 2023, Al Jazeera reported.
The ceasefire in Gaza will take effect on Sunday, January 19, Qatar’s prime minister said in his press conference, adding that talks were continuing with Israel and Hamas on the implementation of the deal. Israel said there were still unresolved issues.
“Due to the strong insistence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas folded on its last-minute demand to change the deployment of (Israeli) forces in the Philadelphi Corridor. However, several items in the framework have yet to be finalised; we hope that the details will be finalised tonight,” a statement from the Israeli government said.
In an interesting angle to the development, US President-elect, Donald Trump, took credit for brokering an “epic” ceasefire agreement in Gaza, saying the breakthrough only happened as a “result of our historic victory” in the November 2024 presidential election.
Trump said on his Truth Social network that the deal, “signalled to the entire world that my administration would seek peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies”. He added: “We have achieved so much without even being in the White House. Just imagine all of the wonderful things that will happen when I return to the White House, and my administration is fully confirmed, so they can secure more victories for the United States!”
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action (USCPR Action) said the “era of Israel’s impunity must now come to a swift end” after a ceasefire is reached in Gaza.
Save the Children said in a statement that hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children were in urgent need of shelter, food and medical supplies.
“For 15 months, about one million children in Gaza have been caught in a living nightmare with loss, trauma and risks to their lives at every turn,” said the group’s CEO, Inger Ashing.
“If implemented, this pause will bring them vital reprieve from the bombs and bullets that have stalked them for more than a year. But it is not enough and the race is on to save children facing hunger and disease as the shadow of famine looms.
“The pause must be permanent, and efforts urgently ramped up to end the siege and vastly increase the entry of aid,” Ashing said.
According to the Hamas delegation in Doha, the provisions Hamas agreed to include the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, including the Philadelphi corridor, in stages, and handing over 33 Israeli prisoners, dead and alive, in exchange for the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Negotiations would be completed in stages for the release of the remaining hostages, according to the Hamas delegation.
The provisions also include the opening of the Rafah crossing, according to the Hamas delegation. Coordination was underway to open the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing to allow the entry of international aid into Gaza, an Egyptian security source told ABC News.
Hamas is currently advising Palestinians to remain alert until the official start of the agreement and to rely on official sources for information on the timing of the ceasefire.
A new round of ceasefire negotiations began on January 3 in Qatar. Delegations from both Israel and Hamas were dispatched to Doha to resume the negotiations, which were brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators as well as the Biden administration.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously told reporters the United States wanted a ceasefire deal in Gaza and all remaining captives released before Trump takes office on January 20.
The deal comes after a ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and Hezbollah in November, weeks after Israel invaded southern Lebanon as part of an escalation of its conflict with Hezbollah.
It also follows the high-profile assassinations last year of Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar — with Sinwar being one of the key architects of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel — as well as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel has claimed responsibility for their deaths.
