Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani speaks at a press conference in Doha, Qatar, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal after intensive mediation efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, the Qatari prime minister announced on Wednesday. In a press conference, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said the two conflicting parties in Gaza have reached an agreement regarding the exchange of hostages and prisoners and return to sustainable calm that would lead to a permanent ceasefire. (Xinhua)
DOHA, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal after intensive mediation efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, the Qatari prime minister announced on Wednesday.
In a press conference, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said the two conflicting parties in Gaza have reached an agreement regarding the exchange of hostages and prisoners and return to sustainable calm that would lead to a permanent ceasefire.
He added that implementation of the agreement will begin on Sunday, Jan. 19.
According to the agreement, Hamas will release 33 hostages in the first phase, spanning six weeks, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The details of the second and third phases will be announced after the completion of the first phase of the agreement.
Al Thani emphasized Qatar's continued commitment, alongside Egypt and the United States, to oversee the agreement's implementation and address any potential violations.
Monitoring teams from the three countries will ensure adherence to the agreement and take necessary steps to maintain stability, he said.
"This agreement is a step toward achieving sustainable peace in the region, and we are working closely with all parties to ensure its success," Al Thani remarked. ■
A woman places a candle amid reports of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Chen Junqing)
Relatives and supporters of hostages held in the Gaza Strip embrace each other amid reports of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. (Gideon Markowicz/JINI via Xinhua)
Relatives and supporters of hostages held in the Gaza Strip embrace each other amid reports of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. (Gideon Markowicz/JINI via Xinhua)
Photo taken on Jan. 15, 2025 shows posters of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, in a square in Tel Aviv, Israel. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Chen Junqing)
An injured child is treated at a hospital following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led an assault on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed more than 46,700 people and reduced much of the territory to rubble, according to the Gaza health authorities. (Photo by Abdul Rahman Salama/Xinhua)
Injured children are treated at a hospital following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led an assault on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed more than 46,700 people and reduced much of the territory to rubble, according to the Gaza health authorities. (Photo by Abdul Rahman Salama/Xinhua)
An injured man is treated at a hospital following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led an assault on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed more than 46,700 people and reduced much of the territory to rubble, according to the Gaza health authorities. (Photo by Abdul Rahman Salama/Xinhua)
An injured child is treated at a hospital following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led an assault on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed more than 46,700 people and reduced much of the territory to rubble, according to the Gaza health authorities. (Photo by Abdul Rahman Salama/Xinhua)
People mourn victims killed in an Israeli bombardment, at a hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led an assault on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed more than 46,700 people and reduced much of the territory to rubble, according to the Gaza health authorities. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
A man holds the body of a victim killed in an Israeli bombardment, inside a vehicle in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led an assault on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed more than 46,700 people and reduced much of the territory to rubble, according to the Gaza health authorities. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
A woman mourns a victim killed in an Israeli bombardment, at a hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led an assault on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed more than 46,700 people and reduced much of the territory to rubble, according to the Gaza health authorities. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
A man carries the body of a victim killed in an Israeli bombardment, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led an assault on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed more than 46,700 people and reduced much of the territory to rubble, according to the Gaza health authorities. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
A man carries the body of a victim killed in an Israeli bombardment, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led an assault on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed more than 46,700 people and reduced much of the territory to rubble, according to the Gaza health authorities. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
An injured man is treated at a hospital following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led an assault on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed more than 46,700 people and reduced much of the territory to rubble, according to the Gaza health authorities. (Photo by Abdul Rahman Salama/Xinhua)
An injured child is treated at a hospital following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led an assault on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed more than 46,700 people and reduced much of the territory to rubble, according to the Gaza health authorities. (Photo by Abdul Rahman Salama/Xinhua)
An injured child is transferred to a hospital following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led an assault on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed more than 46,700 people and reduced much of the territory to rubble, according to the Gaza health authorities. (Photo by Abdul Rahman Salama/Xinhua)
An injured child is treated at a hospital following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on Jan. 15, 2025. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal following intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Qatar's prime minister announced on Wednesday. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led an assault on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed more than 46,700 people and reduced much of the territory to rubble, according to the Gaza health authorities. (Photo by Abdul Rahman Salama/Xinhua)
