(ZeroHedge)—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has informed relatives of hostages kidnapped by Hamas that the end of the war in Gaza is near, amid reports that a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal has been reached. A formal deal could be announced within hours, he has said.
Axios reports Wednesday morning, “A breakthrough has been reached in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Doha and a deal to release hostages held by Hamas and establish a ceasefire in Gaza is imminent, three Israeli officials told Axios.”
“There is a breakthrough in the hostage deal negotiations in Doha. Hamas’ military leader in Gaza Mohammed Sinwar gave his OK,” one Israeli official was cited as saying. And importantly, a statement from Trump’s team:
‘We have a deal’: Trump hails Gaza peace accord
In a quick follow-up statement on Truth Social, president-elect Trump underscored the unmistakable timing, attributing the deal to his election win in November. Below is his statement in full [emphasis ZH]:
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.
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. We will continue promoting PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH throughout the region, as we build upon the momentum of this ceasefire to further expand the Historic Abraham Accords. This is only the beginning of great things to come for America, and indeed, the World!
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!
The impending deal reportedly lays out an initial six week ceasefire phase which includes gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Central Gaza as well as the return of displaced Palestinians to North Gaza.
Of the some 100 hostages still held by Hamas, at least one-third are believed already deceased. Dozens were released upon an initial deal struck early in the conflict.
Like with the first hostage exchange, dozens of Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released under this new agreement in return for each Israeli hostage.
Gazans, enduring Israeli attacks for 465 days, celebrate the ceasefire agreement with tears of relief ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/eiW0jyuB9V
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) January 15, 2025
According to the latest on where things stand via Axios:
- A second Israeli official said there is optimism that a deal could be announced by Thursday at the latest.
- The Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement that Hamas hasn’t given it’s approval for the deal.
- Hamas still hasn’t issued an official statement, but a Palestinian source quoted by Al-Araby al-Jadeed website said the group and other factions in Gaza have a unified position and have given a positive response to the draft ceasefire agreement.
Netanyahu’s office has still said it has not received official word from Hamas on whether it has agreed to the deal.
“Both Reuters and AFP reported that Hamas had given verbal approval for the deal, citing Palestinian sources. According to Reuters, the terror group had not yet given a written response to the ceasefire proposal,” Times of Israel also underscores. Additionally:
Channel 12 quoted an Israeli official saying that “there has been a breakthrough,” and assessed that a deal could be signed later in the day.
Ministers is Netanyahu’s cabinet are reportedly preparing for a possible Wednesday night vote on enacting a ceasefire deal.
Not everyone is happy. For example, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has threatened to quit the governing coalition if Netanyahu agrees to the hostage and ceasefire deal.
I don't care what you think of Trump. I don't care what Trump's motives are or what else he promised Israel, which I'm sure is non-trivial.
Anyone who causes an end to Israel's civilian- destruction in Gaza has done a good thing, and there's no denying his key role: https://t.co/saOMNruu78
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 15, 2025
“Over the past year, through our political power, we have managed to prevent this deal from coming to fruition, time after time,” Ben Gvir said Tuesday. Some critics both within and outside Israel have accused Netanyahu of doing precisely this. Large protests have persisted in Tel Aviv amid accusations Netanyahu has thwarted potential peace deals in the past, opting to pursue total war in Gaza.
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