President Joe Biden confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the Israeli government and Hamas have agreed to a deal that would initiate a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The agreement, which was mediated by officials from both the Biden and incoming Trump administrations, along with officials from Qatar and Egypt, is expected to take effect on Sunday, Jan. 19 and initially last for 6 weeks. It is expected to include the release of 33 hostages kidnapped from Israel during the terror attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. In exchange, the Israeli government will release hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Palestinians in Gaza are also expected to receive a surge in humanitarian aid.
Biden responded to the news in a press conference Wednesday, saying it was a good afternoon and crediting both his team and the team from the incoming administration. He also said that talks will continue among parties involved to continue to build phase two of the deal that could possibly include a permanent end to the war. He confirmed that three American hostages are still believed to be alive and would be released in this first phase of the agreement.
Trump also responded to the news, writing on his social media site Truth Social, “WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!”
This story was written by Sahil Gupta. He can be reached at [email protected].
