NewStats: 3,259,263 , 8,169,676 topics. Date: Saturday, 24 May 2025 at 03:01 PM 28388

Israel and Hamas agreed on Wednesday to a deal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages being held in Gaza following separate meetings with Qatar’s prime minister, a source briefed on the talks told AFP.

A US official confirmed the deal.

Pressure to put an end to the fighting had ratcheted up in recent days, as mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States intensified efforts to cement an agreement.

On Wednesday, a source close to the talks said Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani was “meeting Hamas negotiators in his office for (a) final push” to seal the deal.


A source briefed on the talks later told AFP a “Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal (was) reached following (the) Qatari PM’s meeting with Hamas negotiators and separately Israeli negotiators in his office”.

The announcement comes after months of failed bids to end the deadliest war in Gaza’s history, and days ahead of the inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump, who immediately hailed the deal before it was officially announced by the White House.

“We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly. Thank you!” Trump said on his Truth Social network.

Trump had warned Hamas of “hell to pay” if it did not free the remaining captives before he took office, and envoys from both his incoming istration and President Joe Biden’s outgoing one had been present at the latest negotiations.

Hamas sparked the war in Gaza by staging the deadliest-ever attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.

Palestinian militants also took 251 people hostage during the attack, 94 of whom are still being held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza has killed 46,707 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the UN considers reliable.

Among the sticking points in successive rounds of talks had been disagreements over the permanence of any ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the scale of humanitarian aid for the Palestinian territory.

The UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, facing an Israeli ban on its activities set to take effect later this month, said it will continue providing much-needed aid.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed to crush Hamas in retaliation for the October 7 attack, has opposed any post-war role for the militant group in the territory.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday Israel would ultimately “have to accept reuniting Gaza and the West Bank under the leadership of a reformed” Palestinian Authority, and embrace a “path toward forming an independent Palestinian state”.

He added that the “best incentive” to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace remained the prospect of normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Mustafa, speaking in Oslo, said the latest push for a Gaza ceasefire showed international pressure on Israel “does pay off”.

The October 7 attack on communities in southern Israel sparked uproar around the world, as did the scale of the suffering in Gaza from the retaliatory war.

World powers and international organisations have for months pushed for a ceasefire, which up until Wednesday had remained elusive.

https://punchng.com/israel-hamas-agree-ceasefire-deal-release-of-hostages/

This is a welcome development

But while this is a hopeful moment, true peace will require addressing deeper issues at the heart of the conflict.


We need two state solution to Israel- Palestinian conflict, free the oppressed people of Palestine

Peace through strength.

Welcome back Donald J Trump

I thought den don decimate hamas

The fear of Trump

Trump my man

Santayahu don finally chop the humble pie. The same agreement he has been refused months ago. The souls of the innocent children and women will hunt Satanyahu forever.

Netanyahu in 2023: There will be no Hamas in Gaza.

Netanyahu in 2025: We are waiting for Hamas's response to the ceasefire proposal.

babyboy4every1:
I thought den don decimate hamas

Not really, but dey cannot fire catapult again talk less of shooting a rocket 🚀



Well peace is priceless

I don't want Peace. I want War . I don't want any peace deal. The Palestinian land must be cleared and allocated by the Isreal.

Are you sure? This happened 2 days ago.

Israeli army: 5 Nahal Brigade personnel killed in battle in the northern Gaza Strip.

tolexy007:



Not really, but dey cannot to fire catapult again talk less of shooting a rocket 🚀

Very good because peace is paramount.
Botragelad

What do you have to say

It took them 16 months to do what they should have done in 16 minutes...almost 50k souls lost, Gaza destroyed to the ground...but we thank God for Trump.

For those doubting the power of the US...tell Putin to threaten the new regime in Syria first. I wanna check something.

OkpaNsukkaisBae:
Very good because peace is paramount.
Botragelad

What do you have to say

All I have to say is there's a lot happening behind the scene and you will be shocked when it's finally unveiled.

Enjoy, son!

Maruer:
Trump just scored his first goal as incoming president.

All for the fear of the fact that Trump is not a leader you want to mess with

Smh.
This has nothing to do with Trump but Biden. Biden had been the one giving the bombs and money to Israel that kept the war on Gaza on. He did it for political reasons and because he underestimated Hamas.

If Biden had not kept giving bombs and money to Netanyahu even after he proposed this same cease-fire last year, the war would not have lasted this long.

Biden is no longer willing to give bombs and money to Israel with the threat by Russia and China and after his party lost the election.

ekineme:
Hamas agreeing to Israel , there is really peace in strength.

It's PM Netanyahu who eventually agreed to Hamas. Biden and Trump told him to finish off Hamas but after 15 months, it's increasingly clear that Isreal can't finish off Hamas.

Gaza is back under istration of Hamas so what's the point of the war? Hamas got what it wanted. Armed Hamas soldiers parade through streets of Gaza after news of imminent ceasefire as show of force that they are in charge of Gaza.
So who is deceiving who? 15 months of war with US-backed Isreal yet Hamas is still in charge of Gaza.

Isreal and US lost the war. A tiny Hamas forced Isreal and US/ Biden to accept its after Isreal and US couldn't defeat them militarily! Like Taliban like Hamas, they dragged Isreal and US into long war that exhausted Isreal and US. Israelis are the ones used to good life and are even having serious mental health problems arising from the daily 3a.m missiles fired from Yemeni Houthis.

Hamas agreeing to Israel , there is really peace in strength.

And the cycle continues


Once the hostages have been released, Hamas will lose its bargaining chip.


Whatever that is left of Hamas will continue to be at the mercy of Israel.

Israel will likely retain a significant control of Gaza.

Benjamin Netanyahu 🥂

About time. This senseless and callous killing needs to stop.
Humanity must come back to her senses.

Enough is enough.

FreeStuffsNG:

Smh. This has nothing to do with Trump but Biden. Biden had been the one giving the bombs to Israel that kept the war on Gaza on.

Biden is no longer willing to give bombs to Israel with the threat by Russia and China.

It's PM Netanyahu who eventually agreed to Hamas. Biden and Trump told him to finish off Hamas but after 15 months, it's increasingly clear that Isreal can't finish off Hamas.
Gaza is back under istration of Hamas so what's the point of the war?

The point of war ?

This question is meant for yahaya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders that planned and massacred Israelis.

How many Palestinians lost their lives again?

As expected

Every terrorist nation, terrorist sponsors and sympathizers positioning themselves before Trump mounts the rostrum as POTUS


Ukraine to follow

Fear of Trump

FreeStuffsNG:

Smh. This has nothing to do with Trump but Biden. Biden had been the one giving the bombs to Israel that kept the war on Gaza on.

Biden is no longer willing to give bombs to Israel with the threat by Russia and China.

It's PM Netanyahu who eventually agreed to Hamas. Biden and Trump told him to finish off Hamas but after 15 months, it's increasingly clear that Isreal can't finish off Hamas.
Gaza is back under istration of Hamas so what's the point of the war?

You are far from reality. " Trump message, if those hostages are not released before I assume office...., Hamas redlines of total Israel withdrawal....what is happening today," don't just fall for propaganda or propagate one, Hamas is not even in position to reject any proposal, because they have been saying it's BN that is preventing it all this times, and the reason is because Israel want the cease fire in his own .

At last!

madridguy:
Santayahu don finally chop the humble pie. The same agreement he has been refused months ago. The souls of the innocent children and women will hunt Satanyahu forever.

Netanyahu in 2023: There will be no Hamas in Gaza.

Netanyahu in 2025: We are waiting for Hamas's response to the ceasefire proposal.

Hostages are lives that even one surviving soldier can use as a leverage to negotiate with his enemy.... You know nothing about wars

madridguy:
Santayahu don finally chop the humble pie. The same agreement he has been refused months ago. The souls of the innocent children and women will hunt Satanyahu forever.

Netanyahu in 2023: There will be no Hamas in Gaza.

Netanyahu in 2025: We are waiting for Hamas's response to the ceasefire proposal.

Yet, some mumu above said it fear of trump.

madridguy:
Santayahu don finally chop the humble pie. The same agreement he has been refused months ago. The souls of the innocent children and women will hunt Satanyahu forever.

Netanyahu in 2023: There will be no Hamas in Gaza.

Netanyahu in 2025: We are waiting for Hamas's response to the ceasefire proposal.

Just like the cease fire deal in Lebanon, after the hostages have been released, Israel will still retain the right to police and neutralize any threat from Gaza. (This still includes airstrikes when needed)

madridguy:
Santayahu don finally chop the humble pie. The same agreement he has been refused months ago. The souls of the innocent children and women will hunt Satanyahu forever.

Netanyahu in 2023: There will be no Hamas in Gaza.

Netanyahu in 2025: We are waiting for Hamas's response to the ceasefire proposal.

Don’t be foolish Isreal dealt big punches at hamas but won’t want to keep sacrificing their citizens in hostage

tolexy007:
Trump my man

Stories,! The deal has been on the table since last year June by Biden!

Chienex24:


Hostages are lives that even one surviving soldier can use as a leverage to negotiate with his enemy.... You know nothing about wars

What is something about war that satanyahoo had not used against Palestinians in the Gaza war?