Israel and Hamas reach Gaza ceasefire and hostage release de

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Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage release agreement to halt more than a year of fighting in the Gaza Strip, President Biden and Qatar's prime minister announced separately on Wednesday. The deal comes after a week of intense negotiations mediated by Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt.

"Today, after many months of intensive diplomacy by the United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage deal," Mr. Biden said in a written statement. "This 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."

Speaking from the White House Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Biden said, "There was no other way for this war to end than with a hostage deal, and I'm deeply satisfied this day has finally come, for the sake of the people of Israel, and for the families waiting in agony, and for the sake of the innocent people in Gaza who suffered unimaginable devastation because of the war."

He said Americans will be among the hostages released in phase one of the deal, "and the vice president and I cannot wait to welcome them home."

The deal is expected to take effect Sunday, the White House said.

As news of the agreement broke, crowds gathered in Deir al Bala in Gaza, and celebratory gunfire was heard.

"I'm extremely happy," one young Palestinian woman in the Gaza city of Khan Younis CBS News. "The past 15 months I experienced tears, laughters, lost martyrs and people went into prison, but finally I feel the joy."

"I am very happy, and today is the day I wished to hear about since the beginning of the war," an elderly man said. "God is sending us hope," he added.

The ceasefire is not yet in effect, and Israeli airstrikes continued Wednesday in Gaza City and Khan Younis after the news broke.

The families of the American hostages still being held in Gaza expressed their relief at the news of a deal.

"We are deeply grateful that there is finally an agreement between Israel and Hamas to bring our loved ones — Omer, Edan, Sagui, Itay, Keith, Gad, and Judi — home," the families said in a statement. "We have been waiting for 467 days while our family members suffer from life-threatening injuries, abuse, torture, and sexual violence. We thank President Biden, President-elect Trump, and their teams for their constructive efforts to make this possible."

What is in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal
Details of the deal are similar to a plan outlined by Mr. Biden last year. The deal is expected to go into effect on Sunday.

According to a draft from mediator sources, viewed by CBS News earlier this week, and Mr. Biden's description, it would consist of three phases, each lasting about 42 days.

During the first phase, Hamas would release 33 women and children hostages, as well as hostages over 50 years old, the draft viewed by CBS News said. The first phase will also include the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from populated areas of Gaza, Mr. Biden said.

For each woman or child hostage returned to Israel, Israel is expected to release 30 Palestinian women and children from its prisons. Hamas would release all hostages over 50 years of age, and Israel would release 30 Palestinian prisoners aged 50 or older.

A senior Israeli official told CBS News that the release of hostages from Israel would begin on the first day of a 42-day ceasefire period. Mr. Biden said Americans will be among the first wave of hostages released.

On that first day, Hamas would release three hostages, according to the draft viewed by CBS News. On the seventh day, Hamas would release four hostages. Thereafter, Hamas would release three hostages taken from Israel every seven days, starting with the living and then moving on to return the bodies of those who have died.

During the exchange of hostages and prisoners, there would be a complete ceasefire in Gaza to allow aid to enter, the draft viewed by CBS News said. International aid groups and the United Nations would resume operations in Gaza, and would begin reconstruction of the enclave's infrastructure, such as water, electricity and sewage systems.

The second phase of the deal would involve the release of all remaining male Israeli hostages and the withdrawal of all IDF forces from Gaza, the president announced Wednesday.

The third phase would include the exchange of bodies of deceased hostages and prisoners and the beginning of the reconstruction of Gaza, Mr. Biden said.

[bTrump responds to ceasefire and hostage release deal[/b]
In his remarks, Mr. Biden noted that the deal will largely be implemented after his successor, President-elect Donald Trump, takes office.

"This deal was developed and negotiated under my administration, but its terms will be implemented, for the most part, by the next administration," the president said. "For these past few days, we've been speaking as one team."

Trump posted on social media as news broke of the hostage and ceasefire agreement.

"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," Trump wrote. "I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones."

Trump said his special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel "to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven."

"We have achieved so much without even being in the White House," Trump wrote. "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!"

A “tense” weekend meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and incoming Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff led to a breakthrough in the hostage negotiations, with the top aide to US President-elect Donald Trump doing more to sway the premier in a single sit-down than outgoing President Joe Biden did all year, two Arab officials told The Times of Israel on Tuesday.

Witkoff has been in Doha for the past week to take part in the hostage negotiations, as mediators try to secure a deal before Trump’s January 20 inauguration. On Saturday, Witkoff flew to Israel for a meeting with Netanyahu at the premier’s Jerusalem office.

During the meeting, Witkoff urged Netanyahu to accept key compromises necessary for an agreement, the two Arab officials on Monday told The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity. Neither Witkoff nor Netanyahu’s office responded to requests for comment.

Right-wing protesters demonstrated Wednesday night against a deal for a truce in the Gaza war that would see the release of at least some of the Israeli hostages held by terror groups in the Palestinian enclave, warning that the terms of the agreement may leave most captives behind as well as endanger national security by releasing many convicted Palestinian terrorists.

The protests included demonstrators from a group of bereaved families from the 15-month war who marched on the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem and spent the night camped in tents outside the building.

Other protesters blocked the main entrance to the capital.

A demonstration in support of the deal was held in Tel Aviv, which has been a focal point of rallies backing a ceasefire deal.

The Gvura Forum of families who lost loved ones fighting in Gaza said in a statement that the encampment at the PMO was aimed at “calling on cabinet ministers, who have a national responsibility, to stop this dangerous deal at the last moment.”

The Gvura forum chair, Yehoshua Shani, whose son was killed in the fighting, said in the statement: “This is a time of national emergency.”

“The deal being signed at this very minute will bring disaster upon us,” he warned. “It will leave 70 hostages behind and will endanger national security.”

As part of the deal, Israel will release around a thousand Palestinian security prisoners, including over 150 terrorists convicted of deadly attacks on Israelis.

The forum had also been planning to block the entrance to the PMO on Thursday at 11 a.m., when the cabinet had been originally scheduled to convene to approve the deal, though that meeting was delayed after Netanyahu’s office claimed Hamas was backtracking from some of the agreements.

The forum placed an exhibit of dozens of coffins covered in Israeli flags, saying they represent the Israelis who will end up dying because of the deal.

Another group, the hawkish Tikva Forum, which represents a group of hostage families and relatives of fallen soldiers, said in a statement that it was “concerned” about the deal.

The group likewise warned that the agreed-upon deal, which will see the hostages released in phases, will “effectively leave dozens of kidnapped people behind and pave the way for the next massacre and more hostages.”

We are excited, like the entire Israeli people, when we see the hostages returning home after a long and cruel captivity,” the forum said, but nevertheless cautioned that “this deal is dangerous, both for the hostages who will remain in captivity and for the entire Israeli people.”

The forum appealed for cabinet members to “consider those who will be left behind, those who will not return, and those who will be killed in future terror attacks” before voting to approve the deal’s framework Thursday.

“We will not stop or remain silent until we ensure the return of all the hostages, the safety of Israeli citizens and the IDF soldiers, who may pay the most terrible price of all,” it added, urging government members to resign in protest of the deal.

In contrast, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the group representing the majority of families of hostages, welcomed the deal while adding that its fight wouldn’t end until all 98 hostages are returned to Israel from captivity in Gaza.

“This is an important and significant step that brings us closer to the moment when we will see all of the hostages return — the living for rehabilitation with their families and the fallen for a proper burial in their country,” the forum said. “However, the journey has only just begun and will not end until the last hostage is returned.”

The group demanded that the government remain committed to ensuring “the full implementation of the agreement until the last hostage is returned.”

“The announcement of the signing [of a deal] does not allow for joy or relief among the families. Our breath will be held until all our loved ones return home,” it said.

Meanwhile, dozens of right-wing demonstrators protesting the deal blocked traffic under Chords Bridge, at the entrance to Jerusalem.

Police tried to haul the protesters, mostly Orthodox young men, off the pavement and onto the sidewalk, but many of the demonstrators returned to the center of the road chanting: “Conquest, expulsion, settlement,” referring to the Gaza Strip and far-right hopes of establishing Israeli settlements in the enclave.

There were no reports of arrests and the road was eventually reopened.

There is opposition to the deal within the government too. Far-right cabinet members National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have both threatened to bolt the government over the deal.

While Ben Gvir has already publicly said he will take his Otzma Yehudit party out of the government — but not bring it down — Smotrich on Wednesday said he would take the same course with his Religious Zionism party unless the ceasefire enables an eventual return to battle with the aim of achieving the war’s stated goal of completely destroying Hamas’s military and governance capabilities.

Even with opposition from Ben Gvir and Smotrich, there would still be a majority of ministers in the cabinet to approve the deal.

The Religious Zionism party was holding a meeting on the matter on Thursday.

One member, MK Zvi Sukkot, told the Kan public broadcaster that the party would likely resign from the government in protest of the deal with Hamas, adding that the Religious Zionism party was “here to change the DNA of the State of Israel.”

The governing coalition would still retain a slim majority of 61 seats if the seven Religious Zionism MKs were to resign. But without Otzma Yehudit’s additional six lawmakers, it would be left with a minority in the 120-seat Knesset.

Ben Gvir has said that even if he pulls out of the government, he will not bring it down.

Ultranationalist deputy minister Avi Maoz, who represents the single-member Noam party, said in a statement Thursday that he would oppose the ceasefire deal, while saying he also opposes toppling the government over the matter since this would grant Hamas one of its alleged goals in the war.

Maoz contended that even before signing the deal, the government should fire the IDF chief of staff, the Southern Command chief, and the head of Military Intelligence, who

Israel's Cabinet will meet tomorrow to vote on the ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas after it claimed a delay was due to Hamas’ creating a “last-minute crisis.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not elaborate on what the issue was.

Hamas said it was “committed” to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news briefing today that he remains confident the deal will be implemented as planned.

At least 80 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the announcement, Gaza’s Civil Defense said.

Analysis: For Palestinians this isn't over yet
Palestinians reacted quickly in unison with joy, relief and hope that the bombs will stop falling and they will be able to move back to their homes.

Many of them have been living in squalid tent camps, which are freezing at night and hot during the day.

There have been shortages of fresh water, and the United Nations and other aid agencies have warned repeatedly that the enclave is on the brink of famine.

It has been an unsustainable hellhole for months and months, and nearly the entire population has been displaced. No matter what, swaths of the region will have to be rebuilt.

War has left Gaza population completely dependent on aid, WFP says
The World Food Program said it will need upward of $300 million to sustain Gaza's most urgent needs in the next six months, as the war has destroyed the enclave's economy and infrastructure.

"WFP calls on all parties to do what is in their power to halt any further fighting and ensure safe humanitarian access — the war has left more than 2 million people fully dependent on food assistance, homeless, and without any income," the organization said.

Current stock allows the WFP to assist 1 million people, only half of Gaza's population, over the next three months. The organization said it will need all agencies to come together during the ceasefire to provide aid, including the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency, which Israel has banned.

"We need all border crossings open and functioning reliably," the WFP said. "We also need humanitarian teams to be able to move freely and safely across Gaza to reach those in need."

Gaza has become 'Israel's Vietnam,' former ambassador says
Marc Ginsberg, who was ambassador to Morocco during the Clinton administration, expressed skepticism that Israel was able to accomplish its goal during the last 15 months of war in Gaza.

"I believe in the end, and I hate to say this, but this is becoming Israel's Vietnam," Ginsberg said on MSNBC's "Ana Cabrera Reports."

The Vietnam War has long been criticized as a failure for the United States in both military strategy and public opinion.

Ginsberg pointed out that Hamas has been reconstituted under new leadership despite assassinations of high-ranking members and that it has not promised to lay down its arms.

"Israel insists that it will not ever permit Hamas to remain in Gaza, and I keep asking myself the same question over and over again: How are you going to make that happen?" Ginsberg said.

Analysis: There are no celebrations in Israel. Most just want to move on.
In Israel, there is a feeling of melancholy. There is some relief that this tremendously dark period could be coming to an end, and people want to put the war behind them. But this has been a traumatic experience. This is a hostage deal after all, and there’s not much to celebrate in that.

Yes, some hostages will be returning home, but no one knows what condition they will be in. And many bodies will be coming back, as well, including those of children and elderly people.

There are also deep divisions in Israeli society, and this war has brought them to the surface. The far right wants Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue the war, and it supports the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. Those on the far right advocate for Israeli settlers to return to Gaza, and they believe Netanyahu is caving in to pressure and not going far enough.

There are those on the left who were out on the streets protesting against Netanyahu even before the Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.

They believe that he has used the war to score political points and that he could have signed this deal in May, and they accuse him of prolonging the conflict until the U.S

As a result, there are no parades or victory celebrations — most people just want to move on.

Here's what happens to hostages after they are released
If all goes as planned and the hostages are released from Gaza, one of their first stops in Israel will be a hospital, according to the Israeli Health Ministry's protocols and guidelines.

"The Israeli health system awaits the return of those abducted from captivity," the guidelines say.

The steps to help the former Hamas prisoners get back on their feet got a test run in November 2023 when the first groups of hostages were released and an operation called “Heaven’s Door” was launched to aid them.

The "returnees" will receive an "immediate assessment and treatment in a hospital and, after release, continued treatment and long-term monitoring of all health, medical, mental and social aspects."

The former hostages will be examined in an area cordoned off from the rest of the hospital and will be assigned a private room. There, they will be able to visit with family and, among other things, relearn how to eat normally to avoid what's known as "refeeding syndrome."

That is a life-threatening condition that happens when a malnourished person starts eating regularly again.

Visitors will be kept to a minimum and "the families of the returnees and their guests must be instructed that taking photographs in the compound and uploading materials to social media may harm the returnee," the guidelines state.

In addition to the usual battery of tests, the ministry recommends "that all girls/women of childbearing age" be given a pregnancy test.

The returnees will be allowed to stay at the hospital for as long as necessary and there will be follow-up visits from social workers and others.

"The professional recommendation is to maintain the continuity of treatment and psychological support by the hospital person with whom the contact was established, and therefore this should be allowed to the patient and his family even after release," the guidelines state.