Israel as intensified strikes on Gaza hours after a ceasefire and hostage release deal was announced, residents and authorities in the Palestinian enclave say, as mediators sought to quell fighting before the start of the truce.
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The accord between Israel and militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, emerged on Wednesday after mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the US and 15 months of bloodshed that devastated the territory and inflamed the Middle East.
The deal outlines a six-week initial ceasefire with the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands have been killed.
Relatives and friends of Israeli hostages felt "overwhelming joy and relief" about the deal. (AP PHOTO)
Hostages taken by Hamas would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.
Israel's acceptance of the deal would not be official until it was approved by the country's security cabinet and government on Thursday, an Israeli official said.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of making last-minute demands and going back on agreements.
"The Israeli cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement," Netanyahu's office said.
Hamas was committed to the ceasefire agreement announced by mediators on Wednesday, senior group official Izzat el-Reshiq said.
Hardliners in Netanyahu's government have threatened to quit the coalition if the ceasefire goes ahead, though most ministers are expected to back it.
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.— President Biden (@POTUS) My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done – I will speak more about this soon. pic.twitter.com/iETWhGXEGAJanuary 15, 2025
While people celebrated the pact in Gaza and Israel, Israel's military conducted more attacks, the civil emergency service said.
Gaza militants fired a rocket into Israel, the Israeli military said, causing no casualties.
Israeli air strikes overnight killed at least 46 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.
In Doha, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the ceasefire would take effect on Sunday.
"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," US President Joe Biden said in Washington.
His successor, Donald Trump, takes office on Monday and claimed credit for the breakthrough in Gaza.
If successful, the ceasefire will halt fighting that's razed much of Gaza and killed thousands. (AP PHOTO)
Israel secured major gains over Iran and its proxies, mainly Hezbollah, as the Gaza conflict spread.
In Gaza, Hamas might have been crippled but has been left standing.
News of the ceasefire deal sparked jubilation in Gaza, where Palestinians have faced severe shortages of food, water, shelter and fuel.
In Tel Aviv, families of Israeli hostages likewise welcomed the news, saying in a statement they felt "overwhelming joy and relief (about) the agreement to bring our loved ones home".
If successful, the ceasefire will halt fighting that has razed much of Gaza, killed more than 46,000 people, and displaced most of the enclave's pre-war population of 2.3 million, according to Gaza authorities.
That in turn could defuse tensions across the Middle East, where the war has stoked conflict in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, and raised fears of all-out war between arch foes Israel and Iran.
The UN and the Red Cross are gearing up to bring more humanitarian aid into Gaza. (AP PHOTO)
With 98 Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza, phase one of the deal entails the release of 33 of them, including all women, children and men over 50.
The agreement calls for a surge in humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and the UN and the Red Cross are preparing to scale up their aid operations.
Global reaction to the ceasefire was enthusiastic.
Leaders and officials of Egypt, Turkey, Britain, the United Nations, the European Union, Jordan, Germany and the United Arab Emirates, among others, celebrated the news.
Biden and Trump both claimed credit for the deal that was months in the making but was helped across the line by a Trump emissary.
Israeli troops invaded Gaza after Hamas-led gunmen burst into Israeli border-area communities on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 soldiers and civilians and abducting more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Negotiations on implementing the second phase of the deal will begin by the 16th day of phase one, and this stage is expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The third stage is to address the return of all remaining dead bodies and the start of Gaza's reconstruction supervised by Egypt, Qatar and the UN.
with DPA and AP
Australian Associated Press