Israel and Hamas 'ceasefire deal agreed' as Gaza war to be paused for hostage release

Israel and Hamas have reportedly agreed to a ceasefire deal.

The deal will see the war in Gaza paused to allow for the release of hostages. It comes after weeks of negotiations in the Qatari capital.

The ceasefire deals promise the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, according to the Associated Press (AP).

On Wednesday afternoon, three officials from the U.S. and one from Hamas confirmed that a deal had been reached, while a senior Israeli official said details are still being ironed out, AP reports.

The agreement still needs to be approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet, but it is expected to go into effect in the coming days. It is expected to deliver an initial six-week halt to fighting, accompanied by the opening of negotiations on ending the war altogether.

According to the BBC, Hamas seized 251 Israeli hostages during the October 7 attacks and is still holding 94 captive. Israel believes that only around two thirds of them are still alive.

It remains unclear exactly when and how many displaced Palestinians would be able to return to what remains of their homes and whether the agreement would lead to a complete end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

The US, Egypt and Qatar have brokered months of indirect talks between the two sides, which have finally culminated in this latest deal. It comes after more than 100 hostages were freed from Gaza in a weeklong truce in November 2023.

British-Israeli Emily Damari, 28, was kidnapped during the October 7 attack in 2023 and has been a hostage for 426 days. On Tuesday, during Foreign Office questions in the House of Commons, Labour MP Jake Richard said he met with Mandy Damari, Emily’s mother, as had foreign secretary David Lammy during his most recent trip to Israel.

Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel also referred to Ms Damari, and asked what resources the government will be providing “to support the hostages through this release process over the period of time that is now being speculated” and their efforts to bring “a sustainable end to this awful conflict?”

Mr Lammy replied: “On the issue of proof of life, we do all we can to establish this, (Dame Priti) will understand it is fast-moving, and even post any deal, before hostages come out can take some degree of time so I would not want to be pushed on that issue at the despatch box, but I want to reassure her that we are doing all we can to continue to make that necessary assessment.

“As I say, we are, I hope, on the brink of a deal, it will be the first phase of a deal that will probably last six weeks. And that is important to bear in mind, all of us in this House hope to get to a ceasefire and the necessary rebuilding of Gaza with Israel safe and secure, and that will be very important so that the Middle East can move forward in an atmosphere of peace.”

The UK Foreign Office is yet to comment on reports that a ceasefire has now been agreed.