Qatar: Israel and Hamas are approaching a ceasefire agreement

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held there after more than 15 months of war, Qatar’s government said on Tuesday.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari told reporters that the mediators “managed to minimize many differences between the two sides.” The talks on Tuesday focused on “the final details of reaching an agreement,” he said.

The talks, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, come after months of failed attempts to reach a deal. Officials briefed on the talks in recent weeks have raised hopes that a deal will be possible with a looming deadline: the end of President Biden’s term and the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump.

Mr. Trump warned There will be “ALL HELL TO PAY” if the hostages are not released before he becomes president. Biden administration officials was pressing for a deal that will be part of the outgoing president’s legacy.

If Hamas and Israel come to an agreement, it will provide some respite for the Palestinians in Gaza, who are suffering in displacement camps and the relentless Israeli bombardment, and for the families of hostages who have been kidnapped from Israel for more than a year. about the fate of loved ones. A diplomat said Tuesday that the talks were aimed at resolving outstanding issues, while a Palestinian in contact with Hamas officials said they would discuss details of how the deal would come into force. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy.

The resulting agreement, according to the diplomat, was heavily inspired by earlier proposals discussed in May and July.

Mediators and officials have repeatedly warned that even significant progress could be derailed at the last minute. Israel and Hamas have held multiple rounds of talks over the past few months, each ending in mutual recriminations.

“We believe we are in the final stages, but until we make an announcement – there will be no announcement,” Mr. al-Ansari said, adding that there was no immediate timeline for signing the deal.

International efforts have failed for more than a year in Gaza, sparked by an October 2023 attack by Hamas that killed nearly 1,200 people and took hostages, according to Israeli officials. Israel has launched a military campaign against Hamas that has devastated large areas of the enclave and killed at least 45,000 people, according to Gaza health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and fighters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that delicate talks were continuing on Tuesday, but declined to comment further.

Israeli officials told reporters Monday evening that they believe they are close to reaching an agreement. This optimism was voiced by Mr. Biden in his speech, in which he declared that the ceasefire and bailout agreement was on the verge of “finally coming to fruition.”

CIA Director William J. Burns and senior White House official Brett McGurk toured the Middle East one by one to push for progress in the talks. Mr. Trump’s chosen Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, also visited Qatar and Israel, where he met with high-ranking officials.