Israel-Hamas ceasefire, hostage deal reached

A deal between Israel and Hamas, to include a ceasefire agreement and the release of 33 hostages, has been reached.

“A Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal was reached following the Qatari Prime Minister’s meeting with Hamas negotiators, and separately Israeli negotiators in his office,” a source told Fox News Wednesday, which was confirmed by a senior Hamas official.

President-elect Donald Trump celebrated the deal on his Truth Social social media platform, AP reports, saying in all caps “WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY.”

However the plan still needs approval from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet, which is likely to support any proposal he puts forward, according to AP. Netanyahu’s office said the agreement’s final details still need to be sorted out.

The successful negotiation is reminiscent of then-incoming President Ronald Reagan, who announced the release of Americans held hostage in Iran shortly after he was inaugurated in 1981, even though the deal had been reached before the inauguration. Trump will take office next week, on Monday.

His Middle East negotiator joined negotiators from the Biden administration for the talks that yielded the new agreement.

Nearly100 Israeli hostages could be released, AP reports, although Israeli authorities speculate as many as one third of them could be dead.

The war started 15 months ago when Hamas savagely attacked Israel on October 7, murdering civilians and taking hostages. Israel responded with bombings and raids that saw about 90% of the 2.3 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip displaced.

About 42,000 Gazans have died, according to its health authorities; 1,200 Israeli’s perished in the original attack alone.

This story is developing.