According to senior Hamas and Qatari officials, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement on Wednesday that will put an end to 15 months of conflict in Gaza.
The hard-won deal will also release Palestinian inmates in Israeli prisons and dozens of hostages held in Gaza, marking the first significant lull in conflict since a week-long truce ended on December 1, 2023.
The statement comes after weeks of negotiations mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt amid a harsh winter for Gazan population and significant events throughout the Middle East that have hurt Israel’s adversary, Iran.
A deal between Israel and Hamas has not been formally declared. NBC News was informed earlier Wednesday by a diplomatic source in Washington that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was getting ready to meet with his security Cabinet, where it was anticipated that the agreement would be swiftly approved. He would next present the agreement to the entire Cabinet, which is also anticipated to provide its approval.
According to the source, a ceasefire could start as early as Friday because Israel’s Supreme Court would have 24 hours to allow an appeal. They said that the first set of hostages would be released on Sunday.