Gaza Ceasefire In Effect, Says Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister After Hostage Deal

Israel has begun implementing a ceasefire deal in Gaza, after it reached an agreement with Hamas for the Palestinian militant group to release all the hostages it holds.

It is the first diplomatic breakthrough after months of failed attempts at stopping the two-year war, which has all but devastated Gaza, left tens of thousands dead and destabilized the Middle East. The deal came after days of negotiations between the warring sides in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, building on a proposal from US President Donald Trump.

A ceasefire was in effect as of Thursday, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

The Israeli cabinet is set to meet in the next few hours to formally approve the agreement, an Israeli official said. Army troops will start withdrawing from their positions in the 24 hours following the start of the truce, he added, asking not to be identified by name discussing sensitive matters.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist, said he won’t vote in favor of the deal, but stopped short of threatening to quit the government. That signals the agreement is still likely to be approved.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government has long sought the total destruction of Hamas, hailed “a national and moral victory for the State of Israel.” He said he had a “very emotional and warm conversation” with Trump in which they congratulated each other on the “historic achievement.”

Iran-backed Hamas is set to return all of the remaining 48 hostages held in Gaza — 20 of which are believed to be alive. In return, Israel is due to release almost 2,000 jailed Palestinians and allow a ramp up of aid to Gaza through United Nations agencies and other international bodies.

Trump told Fox News, shortly after announcing the deal, the hostages will “probably” be released on Monday.

Israeli forces will undergo a phased withdrawal from Gaza’s city centers until they reach a buffer zone just within the Palestinian enclave’s border.

Hamas triggered the conflict with an attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting another 250. More than 67,000 Gazans have been killed in the ensuing war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. A panel support by the UN said Israel was committing genocide, something Netanyahu’s government denies. A UN-backed monitor declared a famine in parts of the territory.

Some 450 Israeli troops have died in combat in Gaza.

The overnight agreement and the prospects of peace boosted Israeli assets, with the shekel climbing to a three-year high on Thursday. Israel’s stock market posted some of the world’s biggest gains, while its sovereign dollar bonds rose the most among emerging-market peers.

Crowds gathered in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv — a focal point for Israeli demonstrators calling for their release — to celebrate. There were also celebrations in Gaza, including in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, according to witnesses.

Photos from Egypt showed Israeli and Qatari negotiators embracing each other, something that would have previously been unthinkable given the tensions between the countries. Less than a month ago, Israel outraged Qatar by trying to assassinate a leading Hamas official with a missile strike on a residential compound in Doha.

The talks in Sharm El-Sheikh are likely to continue over outstanding issues, including the reconstruction and future governance of Gaza. Trump and Netanyahu have demanded that Hamas disarms and have no part in governing the territory. The group, designated a terrorist organization by the US, European Union and others, is yet to formally agree to that.

Still, a spokesperson signaled to Al Jazeera on Thursday that it is willing to do so.

“Hamas will not be part of the governance of Gaza, and we have shown all necessary flexibility in this regard,” he told the Qatari broadcaster on Thursday. “We are discussing approaches with the mediators to reach a ceasefire, but not on the basis of surrendering weapons.”

He called on the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey to ensure Israel sticks to the terms of the deal.

Finalizing the roster of Palestinian prisoners to be released could prove protracted. Some members of Netanyahu’s coalition, the most right-wing and religious in Israel’s history, will likely oppose the inclusion of masterminds of suicide bombings or of Palestinians who took part in the Oct. 7 attack.

International leaders, including from Germany and the UK, welcomed the breakthrough. Many have denounced Israel’s campaign in Gaza and in some cases moved to recognize a Palestinian state in response. French President Emmanuel Macron, who has repeatedly clashed with Netanyahu over the conflict, said the “agreement must mark the end of the war and the beginning of a political solution.”

“There’s plenty of reason to be skeptical here about whether this would not make it past its initial stage,” said Yousef Munayyer, head of the Palestine/Israel Program and senior fellow at the Arab Center Washington DC.