Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a Gaza ceasefire and the release of dozens of hostages, Associated Press reports.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday the deal is “right on the brink, it’s closer than it’s ever been before.”
The ceasefire draft plan was put forward by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt on Sunday.
Hamas said that negotiations were in their “final stage.”
If a deal is reached, it would still need approval from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet and then his full Cabinet before it can go into effect.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the proposed deal, authenticated by Egyptian and Hamas officials, which sets out a three-phase agreement, based on a framework first laid out by President Biden.
The agreement would begin with the release of 33 hostages, being held by Hamas. In exchange, Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian women and children. Fighting would also halt, with Israel moving out of the Gaza Strip, AP reports.
A second phase would see the release of the remaining male hostages by Hamas in exchange for a to be determined number of Palestinians prisoners, plus a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip by Israeli troops.
The third phase includes reopening border crossings in and out of Gaza, the implementation of the reconstruction plan for Gaza, and mutual exchange of bodies of deceased hostages.
What to Know:
About 1,000 Palestinian prisoners may be freed under the agreement, with initial talks focusing on 33 Israeli hostages’ release.
The agreement, backed by the U.S. and U.N., outlines a phased approach for hostages and prisoner exchanges, spanning six weeks.
Israel will maintain a buffer zone in Gaza during the first phase of the ceasefire.
The U.S., Egypt, and Qatar are playing key roles in negotiations, with optimism growing that a resolution could be reached before January 20.
The war has caused significant casualties, with over 46,000 Palestinians killed since October 2023.
Stay with Newsweek as negotiations progress and more details emerge on the potential ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal.
04:45 PM EST
No such thing as a ‘perfect deal,’ ex-Israeli Defense Minister says
Former Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz warned there is no such thing as a “perfect deal,” but the cost of leaving behind hostages was too great.
“There will never be a perfect deal, and there never was the possibility of one – every deal will come with painful costs,” Gantz said in a statement today.
“The cost of leaving 98 hostages in captivity is higher than the price of the painful deal that has been on the table since April,” he added.
Gantz resigned from Benjamin Netanyahu’s government last year, accusing the Israeli Prime Minister of putting his own political ambitions above peace.
04:33 PM EST
OPINION: Pope Francis called for Middle East peace, we should listen
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN – JANUARY 12: Pope Francis delivers his Sunday Angelus blessing from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square on January 12, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Francis turned his…
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN – JANUARY 12: Pope Francis delivers his Sunday Angelus blessing from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square on January 12, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Francis turned his thoughts to the thousands of people affected by devastating fires in the US city of Los Angeles and renewed his appeal to pray for peace.
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Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images
Pope Francis welcomed the New Year by thundering against the ongoing war in the Middle East. Last week, in his annual “State of the World” speech to diplomats, he condemned Israel’s 15-month-long military campaign in Palestine. “We cannot in any way accept the bombing of civilians. We cannot accept that children are freezing to death because hospitals have been destroyed or a country’s energy network has been hit,” the ailing Catholic leader stated. This remark followed news that Israel has continued bombing hospitals in Gaza and the West Bank, as others face imminent closure due to the war. Freezing temperatures are adding to an already untenable humanitarian catastrophe.
Anti-war messages are not new territory for the pontiff. This past Christmas, the Vatican’s Nativity scene had a newborn Jesus resting in a manger while wrapped in a keffiyeh—considered a symbol of pro-Palestinian activism. The scene, carved in wood from olive trees, was designed by Palestinian artists Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi, both natives of Bethlehem. In the context of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the region, the optics could not have been more powerful and damning.
The 266th head of the Catholic Church called for peace in the Middle East—a routine request from his predecessors. But Pope Francis went one step further, ensuring his message was crystal clear:
Let us remember the brothers and sisters who…are suffering from the tragedy of war. With tears in our eyes, let us raise our prayer for peace. Brothers and sisters, enough war, enough violence! Do you know that one of the most profitable investments here is in arms production?
04:01 PM EST
Protesters in Jerusalem oppose Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal
Protests erupted in Jerusalem as demonstrators marched against a potential ceasefire agreement involving the release of hostages held in Gaza, CNN reports. The protesters, led by the right-wing Tikva Forum and the Heroism Forum, criticized the deal as a “surrender to Hamas,” urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reject a “partial deal.”
Participants carried Israeli flags and signs with messages such as “You have no mandate to surrender to Hamas” and “The deal will save Hamas,” while chanting slogans opposing the negotiations.
The Tikva Forum, representing relatives of some hostages and bereaved families, has previously called for intensified military actions in Gaza and the suspension of talks. Itsik Buntzel, whose son, an Israel Defense Forces soldier, was killed in Gaza in 2023, expressed concerns that the agreement could lead to further risks for Israeli soldiers.
The protest underscores divisions among families of hostages and those impacted by the conflict, as other groups have supported efforts to secure a ceasefire and the release of captives.
03:49 PM EST
Could a Trump deal change the Middle East in 2025?
With just under a week until President-elect Donald Trump takes office, the soon-to-be second-time U.S. leader famed for his “art of the deal” approach in business and politics prepares to take on a series of interconnected yet equally volatile conflicts in the Middle East.
As war continues to rage between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement and Iran’s embattled coalition regroups from a series of losses, the prospect of diplomacy appears remote at first glance. Even Saudi Arabia seems to be driving a hard bargain in the elusive U.S.-led effort to establish ties between the influential kingdom and Israel.
But former officials familiar with the subject argue the vast changes that have swept through the region over the past four years and particularly in recent months also provide new chances for a grand bargain.
“The challenges are significant in the Middle East, but the opportunities are real,” one former government official close to the issues involved told Newsweek. “They may not be realized, but, boy, are they worth trying.”
03:38 PM EST
Negotiations in Doha near breakthrough on Gaza ceasefire
Talks in Doha are progressing toward a ceasefire agreement that could end the 15-month conflict in Gaza. Mediators report that Israel and Hamas have largely agreed on a framework involving the phased release of hostages and prisoners, as well as the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the area. However, final details are still under discussion.
Key sticking points include the lists of individuals slated for initial release, protocols for displaced Gazans returning north, and security arrangements for monitoring these movements. Israel has requested that a neutral third party oversee checks in Gaza’s Netzarim Corridor. Possible candidates include representatives from Europe, Qatar, or Egypt, although Egypt is reluctant to take on a direct role inside Gaza.
Additionally, the reopening of the Rafah border crossing remains a contentious issue. While Egypt is eager to facilitate the movement of humanitarian aid into Gaza, discussions continue about who will pay for border repairs and manage operations.
The agreement may also include the exile of Hamas leaders to a third country. Despite these unresolved points, sources involved in the negotiations anticipate a deal will be finalized soon.
03:01 PM EST
Trump: Ceasefire in Gaza ‘very close,’ as Hamas accepts draft
Former President Donald Trump listens to questions during a town hall event at Macomb Community College on September 27, 2024, in Warren, Mich.
Former President Donald Trump listens to questions during a town hall event at Macomb Community College on September 27, 2024, in Warren, Mich.
Emily Elconin/Getty Images
President-elect Donald Trump has described a possible ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as being “very close,” as the Palestinian militant group has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages, The Associated Press reported citing two officials involved in the talks.
An Israeli official also said progress had been made, but the details were being finalized.
Officials are rushing to reach a deal to end the war in Gaza and return the 98 hostages still held in the enclave before Trump returns to the Oval Office on January 20. Seven of the remaining hostages are U.S. citizens.
Trump said earlier in January that “all hell will break out in the Middle East” if the hostages in Gaza were not released by his inauguration. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Monday that the Israeli government was working with Biden and Trump officials on a ceasefire and hostage deal.
In an interview with the Newsmax network on Monday nigh, Trump said, “We are very close to getting it done. They have to get it done. If they don’t get it done, there’s going to be a lot of trouble out there—a lot of trouble like they have never seen before. They will get it done.
“I understand…there’s been a handshake and they are getting it finished—and maybe by the end of the week.”
02:58 PM EST
Lebanon’s new PM Nawaf Salam pledges to rebuild his shattered nation
Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam speaks to journalists after his meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.
Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam speaks to journalists after his meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.
Hassan Ammar/AP
Lebanon’s new prime minister vowed on Tuesday to rebuild his nation after the destruction caused by the war with Israel.
Nawaf Salam was nominated for prime minister after a meeting with newly elected President Joseph Aoun.
Lebanon has been grappling with multiple crises, including a devastating economic collapse and the destruction caused by prolonged conflict with Israel.
Salam, who currently heads the International Court of Justice, pledged to avoid marginalizing any political faction, indirectly referencing Hezbollah.
In past years the group opposed his appointment as prime minister and this year indicated its preference for another candidate.
The militant group, weakened by the 14-month war with Israel, has put aside its objections to Salam’s appointment.
02:37 PM EST
Protesters gather in Tel Aviv calling for release of all hostages
Protesters gather in Israel’s Tel Aviv to demand the release of all hostages as Hamas and Israel are on the “brink” of a ceasefire deal.
Crowds gathered at the city’s Begin Gate and began chanting “There will be no victory without the last hostage,” CNN reports.
Sharon Sharabi, whose brother Eli Sharabi and Yossi Sharabi, now deceased, were taken hostage, told reporters, “These are critical hours for Israeli citizens and the state of Israel, with time running out for all our hostages who have been held captive by Hamas for over 15 months.”
The protest was organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Hamas and its allies still have 94 hostages from the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, although at least 34 are reported to now be deceased.
02:11 PM EST
Timeline of ceasefire talks
31 May 2024: President Biden presents an Israeli draft ceasefire proposal.
9 November 2024: Qatar suspends mediation efforts, citing a need for both Israel and Hamas to shift their positions.
20 November 2024: The U.S. blocks a Gaza ceasefire draft resolution at the UN Security Council, emphasizing the need to link a ceasefire to hostage releases.
27 November 2024: Israel agrees to a ceasefire with Lebanon, ending its conflict with Hezbollah.
28 November 2024: Biden announces renewed U.S. efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
17 December 2024: Palestinian and Israeli officials report that indirect ceasefire talks are nearing a resolution.
4 January 2025: Indirect ceasefire talks resume in Qatar.
13 January 2025: Israel and Hamas are close to finalizing a ceasefire agreement.
02:06 PM EST
Blinken says ceasefire deal ‘right on the brink’
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today that the ceasefire deal is “right on the brink, it’s closer than it’s ever been before.”
However, Blinken said that they were still waiting for “the final word from Hamas on its acceptance”.
The ceasefire draft plan was put forward by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt on Sunday.
“The ball is now in Hamas’s court,” he added.
Blinken said he believes a ceasefire is coming but he couldn’t say whether it would happen under the final days of the Biden administration or under Trump.
01:20 PM EST
War in Gaza has inflicted ‘immeasurable’ suffering, Blinken says
Anthony Blinken said that the war in Gaza has inflicted “immeasurable” suffering, with tens of thousands of people killed, two million displaced, and most of the population in Gaza left hungry.
“The more people suffer, the less they feel sympathy for the suffering of the other side,” he said.
He added that for family of the hostages, every day was painful, not knowing whether they were alive or dead.
01:03 PM EST
State secretary called ‘bloody Blinken’ and ‘war criminal’ by hecklers
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s address on the Middle East was interrupted multiple times on Tuesday.
Blinken was discussing America’s foreign policy achievements when a woman interrupted him, saying he would “forever be known as bloody Blinken, secretary of genocide”.
“You have the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent people on your hands,” she said.
Blinken told the protester he respected her views before she was led out.
He returned to his speech but a short time later he was interrupted again, by another heckler, who called him a “war criminal” and yelled “you have no compassion.”
12:54 PM EST
Secretary of State Antony Blinken presents delayed plan for postwar Gaza
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is making a last-minute case Tuesday for a plan for the post-war reconstruction and governance of Gaza as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appears tantalizingly close to completion.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is making a last-minute case Tuesday for a plan for the post-war reconstruction and governance of Gaza as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appears tantalizingly close to completion.
Associated Press
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has presented the long-delayed plan for a postwar Gaza in Washington D.C. today.
The plan is aimed at uniting the West Bank and Gaza under a Palestinian Authority-led government.
12:48 PM EST
Palestinian militant group arriving in Qatari capital for Gaza deal finalization
Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad is arriving in the Qatari capital Doha tonight, for the finalization of the Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal, CNN reports.
Islamic Jihad was the Hamas ally involved in the deadly attacks and hostage taking in Israel on October 7, 2023.
12:04 PM EST
Netanyahu to ‘hold urgent meeting with top security officials on Gaza deal’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold an urgent meeting tonight on the Gaza deal with his top security officials, CNN reports.
The meeting will discuss a deal that releases the hostages, the network reported.
11:12 AM EST
Hamas not yet responded to Gaza ceasefire draft
Hamas has not yet responded to draft agreement on a hostage-ceasefire deal in Gaza, CNN reports.
The draft agreement has been shared with both Hamas and Israeli officials
10:22 AM EST
Israeli military confirms interception of missile from Yemen
The Israeli military announced that a missile fired from Yemen earlier today was successfully intercepted following an investigation by the Air Force and Home Front Command.
Shrapnel from the intercepted missile caused minor damage in several areas. Some fragments struck a house in Mevo Beitar, near Jerusalem, while additional debris fell near Tzur Hadassah, southwest of the city, and the settlement of Betar Illit in the occupied West Bank.
No injuries have been reported.
09:19 AM EST
Scholz says Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement is within reach
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed that a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas appears to be imminent.
In a statement, Scholz acknowledged the difficulty of negotiating with Hamas, recognizing the pain it causes Israel, but emphasized the importance of prioritizing the lives of the hostages. He also noted that such an agreement could offer a chance to alleviate the suffering in Gaza.
The despicable crime perpetrated by Hamas on 7 October 2023 is still very real to all of us. Since then, we have been grieving with the people in Israel and anxiously hoping with the relatives of the hostages that they will return safely. 1/3
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) January 14, 2025
After many months of agonising negotiations, an agreement now seems to be within reach. We understand how painful any agreement with the terrorist organisation Hamas is for Israel. Nevertheless, the lives of the hostages must now be the top priority. 2/3
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) January 14, 2025
I say this not least because numerous German citizens are among the hostages. The agreement offers the chance of a ceasefire to finally bring the suffering in Gaza to an end. 3/3
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) January 14, 2025
09:08 AM EST
Surge in attacks continues as ceasefire talks progress in Gaza
This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows a smoke plume rising from explosions above destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip on January 13, 2025. Israel and…
This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows a smoke plume rising from explosions above destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip on January 13, 2025. Israel and Hamas have a “final” draft of a deal to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and release hostages from the strip, according to a new report, after fresh negotiations in Qatar ahead of president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next week.
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MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images
Despite ongoing discussions about a potential ceasefire agreement, attacks across the Gaza Strip have surged in recent days, intensifying rather than slowing down. Leaks about the ceasefire negotiations seem to have coincided with the increase in hostilities.
In a recent incident, the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah city turned chaotic when a drone strike killed four people. The attack occurred as individuals were leaving their tent sites, highlighting the growing violence. Over the past 12 hours, at least 33 people have been killed in various strikes, including those in Gaza City and further north.
While some cautiously remain hopeful for a ceasefire, many locals fear being let down once again, expressing concern over the continued violence despite the diplomatic talks.
09:00 AM EST
Details being finalized
Reports on Tuesday indicated that Hamas has accepted a draft ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, which includes the release of dozens of hostages. According to two officials involved in the negotiations, Qatar, the mediator, stated that the talks are at their “closest point” yet to reaching a deal.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the proposed agreement, with authenticity confirmed by both an Egyptian and a Hamas official. An Israeli official acknowledged progress in the discussions, noting that the details are being finalized.
08:57 AM EST
Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal to include release of 33 hostages
The initial phase of the proposed ceasefire and hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas is expected to involve the release of 33 Israeli hostages, according to sources close to the talks and Israeli media.
An Israeli government official further clarified that “several hundred terrorists will be released” as part of this first phase. Additionally, reports suggest that Israel will maintain a buffer zone within Gaza during the early implementation of the agreement.
08:53 AM EST
Hamas to free 1,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of Gaza negotiations
Demonstrators hold signs and flares during a protest calling for the immediate release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025….
Demonstrators hold signs and flares during a protest calling for the immediate release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025.
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Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
Sources close to Hamas have confirmed that approximately 1,000 Palestinian prisoners will be released as part of an initial agreement in ongoing negotiations related to the Gaza conflict, according to AFP.
While full details of the deal remain undisclosed, this prisoner release is expected to be a significant development in the broader context of regional tensions and humanitarian concerns.
If finalized, this agreement would represent one of the largest prisoner releases in recent years, marking a notable shift in the ongoing conflict.