Israel, Hamas reach ceasefire and hostage deal with U.S. mediation

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire and hostage release deal following months of intense negotiations led by the United States, with critical support from Egypt and Qatar.

While announcing the agreement Wednesday, United States President, Joe Biden described the deal as a major step toward ending the violence in Gaza and alleviating humanitarian suffering.

“Today, after many months of intensive diplomacy by the United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage deal.” Said President Biden.

Adding that: “This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much needed-humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity.”

According to President Biden, the framework for the agreement was laid out on May 31, 2024, after which it was endorsed unanimously by the United Nations Security Council.

“I laid out the precise contours of this plan on May 31, 2024, after which it was endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council.” He remarked.

He noted that the ceasefire agreement is the result not only of the extreme pressure that Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran, but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy.

While welcoming the deal, President Biden expressed solemn remembrance for all the families whose loved ones were killed in Hamas’s October 7th attack, and the many innocent people killed in the war that followed.

“It is long past time for the fighting to end and the work of building peace and security to begin.” He noted.

He acknowledged the ordeal faced by American families directly impacted by the conflict, noting that three Americans remain hostages in Gaza, while the remains of four others await repatriation.

The US President pledged that under the agreement, every effort will be made to bring all hostages home.