Israel's government accused Hamas of going back on parts of a ceasefire and hostage deal announced on Tuesday, saying the Palestinian militant group had tried to "extort last-minute concessions," which Hamas denied.
Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said on Wednesday that the "joint mediation efforts" of Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. had finally secured a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.
The announcement was greeted by both elation and some trepidation over the fragility of the long-discussed agreement.
Israel's government did not confirm a deal had been reached, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office thanked outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden and incoming President Donald Trump for their efforts in "advancing the release of the hostages."
Both the outgoing Democrat and incoming Republican claimed credit for the deal.
Newsweek contacted the White House and Trump transition team for comment outside normal office hours.
Is the Gaza ceasefire off? What have Hamas and Israel said?
In a fresh statement on Thursday morning, Netanyahu's office said Hamas had "reneged on parts of the agreement reached with the mediators and Israel in an effort to extort last-minute concessions." The statement said the Israeli cabinet, set to vote on the deal, would not meet until Hamas "accepted all elements of the agreement."
A senior Hamas official said the group was "committed" to the terms set out by the mediators in Doha.
The deal isn't off the table yet, but it does confirm some of the fears many had about the painstaking process of reaching a deal being derailed. Hamas-run authorities reported renewed Israeli strikes on Gaza after the deal was announced by the mediators.
More than 1,200 people were killed during Hamas' unprecedented attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and 250 more were taken as hostages into Gaza. Israel then vowed to eradicate Hamas and launched a devastating campaign on the Palestinian enclave. According to Hamas-run health authorities, more than 46,000 people have died since last October, although this number does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
A deal to stop the war and return the hostages had been elusive, despite rising pressure on Netanyahu's government from Israeli society to secure the release of the hostages. Israel's far right, namely security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, had loudly opposed deals with Hamas.
How would the ceasefire work?
The ceasefire deal, as announced by the mediators, has three phases. The first step would be 42-day pause to fighting in Gaza, with the release of 33 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the Strip in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners being freed from Israeli custody.
The released Israeli hostages would be civilian women, female soldiers, children, the elderly and those who are sick or injured, Al Thani said.
In this initial phase, Israeli troops would pull back to the fringes of the Palestinian enclave and away from its population centers. Gazans would begin to return to what remains of their homes as more humanitarian aid permeates the Strip and those are injured receive treatment, mediators said.
The next two phases will be firmed up as the first phase gets underway, the Qatari prime minister said.
How long would the ceasefire last?
This first stage of the ceasefire will last six weeks. It's not clear what will happen after this timer ticks down, and will hinge on the second and third-phase negotiations to kick off in the coming weeks.
Hanging heavy over the talks are questions over who will govern Gaza after Israeli troops withdraw.
A brief ceasefire deal in November 2023, which returned 100 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian women and children in Israeli custody, fell apart after a week.
When would the ceasefire come into effect?
The ceasefire would start on Sunday, the day before Trump's inauguration.
What happens to Israeli hostages?
An unnamed senior U.S. official told the Washington Post that three Israeli hostages would be released between 48 and 72 hours after the agreement. It is believed 23 of the 33 hostages expected to be released are still alive, including two U.S. citizens. In total, 98 hostages remain in Gaza.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told the media Wednesday that "hostages will begin to return home in the coming days," but did not provide further specifics.
What happens to Palestinian hostages?
It is not yet clear how many Palestinian prisoners will be released by Israel, and Al Thani did not specify in his announcement.
Could this lead to a permanent end to the war?
The mediators hope so. Qatar said on Wednesday that Doha, Cairo and Washington said the agreement was the start of the path to a "sustainable calm ultimately achieving a permanent ceasefire between parties."
"The ceasefire announced today opens the door to breaking the cycle of violence that has long plagued the region, if leaders there are finally prepared to make the tough decisions necessary," Miller said.
Trump's role in the ceasefire: What has been said?
Trump's presence has been a driving force behind the timing of this deal. Israeli sources with knowledge of the talks told Newsweek that the pace of negotiations changed after the November election result that swept the Republican back to power.
In a statement, Netanyahu's office said he had spoken with Trump first, and "thanked him for his assistance in advancing the release of the hostages and for helping Israel bring an end to the suffering of dozens of hostages and their families."
Netanyahu would travel to Washington "soon" to meet the incoming president, his office said.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said "this EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies."
"We have achieved so much without even being in the White House," he wrote. "Just imagine all of the wonderful things that will happen when I return to the White House, and my Administration is fully confirmed, so they can secure more Victories for the United States!"
Biden's role in the ceasefire: What has been said?
Further down in the statement, Netanyahu's office said that after his call with Trump, the Israeli leader "then spoke" to outgoing President Biden. Netanyahu "thanked him as well for his assistance in advancing the hostages deal," according to his office.
Al Thani said when announcing the ceasefire that the U.S. had shown a clear "commitment to reaching the deal" in the "past few days," thanking both the Biden and Trump envoys who "played a vital role in finalizing the agreement."
Biden said on Wednesday that the deal followed the "precise contours" of the deal he laid out in May last year, adding in a statement: "My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done."
Biden told a press conference the talks were "one of the toughest negotiations I've ever experienced."
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