Qatar is set to give an update on an anticipated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as the US emphasised the “coming hours” for a deal.
The Gulf state’s foreign ministry will hold a press conference in Doha on Wednesday, where a truce is being hammered out by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
It comes as US president Joe Biden and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al Sisi emphasised “the urgent need for a deal to be implemented” and said they would be in contact over the “coming hours”.
On Wednesday, Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied reports Hamas has agreed to the last-minute ceasefire deal nearly 15 months into the war.
Israeli media channels had reported that, following the green light from Hamas, the deal would be formally announced on Thursday and would come into effect on Sunday with the release of the first of the hostages.
But the prime minister’s office immediately said Hamas had not communicated its answer to the proposal drawn up by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
Key Points
- Qatar to give update on talks
- Israel denies reports Hamas accepted ceasefire
- Ceasefire ‘right on the brink’, says Blinken
- Hamas ‘waiting for withdrawal maps'
Qatar to give update
15:44
Alexander Butler
Qatar is set to give an update on an anticipated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as the US emphasised the “coming hours” for a deal.
The Gulf state’s foreign ministry will hold a press conference in Doha on Wednesday, where a truce is being hammered out by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
It comes as US president Joe Biden and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al Sisi emphasised “the urgent need for a deal to be implemented” and said they would be in contact over the “coming hours”.
Israel denies reports Hamas accepted ceasefire
14:06
Alexander Butler
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has denied reports Hamas has agreed to a last-minute ceasefire deal nearly 15 months into the war.
Israeli media channels had reported that, following the green light from Hamas, the deal would be formally announced on Thursday and would come into effect on Sunday with the release of the first of the hostages.
But the prime minister’s office immediately said Hamas had not communicated its answer to the proposal drawn up by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
“Contrary to reports, the Hamas terror organisation has not yet returned its response to the deal,” the prime minister’s office said.
Pictured: Palestinians mourn those killed in Israeli airstrikes
10:54
Alexander Butler
A year of war in Gaza: A timeline of key moments
10:36
Alexander Butler
Some Israeli soldiers refuse to keep fighting in Gaza
09:39
Alexander Butler
US says truce between Israel and Hamas could ‘come anytime’
09:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The US and Qatar have said that a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Israel and Hamas is closer than ever before, with America’s top diplomat saying a truce could be agreed “at any time”.
Negotiators met in Doha on Tuesday hoping to hammer out the final details of a deal, which would include the release of hostages held by Hamas in return for Palestinians held in Israeli jails being freed.
“I believe we will get a ceasefire,” the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said during a speech, asserting it was up to Hamas. “It’s right on the brink. It’s closer than it’s ever been before,” and word could “come anytime”.
Hamas said the talks had reached the final steps and that it hoped this round of negotiations would lead to a deal after mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the US. An Israeli official said talks had reached a critical phase although some details needed to be hammered out: “We are close, we are not there yet.”
Islamic Jihad, which is separate from Hamas and also holds hostages in Gaza, said it was sending a senior delegation that would arrive in Doha on Tuesday night to take part in final arrangements for a ceasefire deal.
Chris Stevenson has more.
Hamas waiting for withdrawal maps, source claims
09:18
Alexander Butler
Hamas is still waiting for Israel to submit maps showing how its military would withdraw from the besieged Gaza Strip, a source said.
During months of on-off talks to achieve a truce in the devastating 15-month-old war both sides have previously said they were close to a ceasefire only to hit last-minute obstacles.
The broad outlines of the current deal have been in place since mid-2024. President-elect Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration is now widely seen as a de facto deadline for a ceasefire agreement.
Hamas recruited almost as many new fighters as it lost, says Blinken
09:00
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
US secretary of state Antony Blinken criticised Israel’s war strategy, saying that Hamas has recruited almost as many new members as it lost during the year-long war in Gaza.
“We’ve long made the point to the Israeli government that Hamas cannot be defeated by a military campaign alone, that without a clear alternative, a post-conflict plan and a credible political horizon for the Palestinians, Hamas, or something just as abhorrent and dangerous, will grow back,” Mr Blinken said in a speech at the Atlantic Council yesterday.
“Each time Israel completes its military operations and pulls back Hamas, militants regroup and re-emerge because there’s nothing else to fill the void,” he said.
“Indeed, we assess that Hamas has recruited almost as many new militants as it has lost. That is a recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war,” Mr Blinken added.
Everything we know about the draft ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas
08:57
Alexander Butler
Terms of the second phase of Hamas-Israel ceasefire
08:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Upon completion of the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, negotiations over the second phase will begin on Day 16 of the truce.
According to the draft, all remaining hostages will be released in return for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a “sustainable calm”.
Israel has said it will not agree to a complete withdrawal until Hamas’s military and political capabilities are eliminated and it cannot rearm — ensuring Hamas no longer runs Gaza.
Hamas says it will not hand over the last hostages until Israel removes all troops from everywhere in Gaza.
Effectively, Hamas has to agree to its own removal from power — something it has said it is willing to do, but it may seek to keep a hand in any future government, which Israel has vehemently rejected.
Terms of the draft for first phase of Hamas-Israel ceasefire deal
08:00
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
If the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal goes according to the current draft, then fighting will stop in Gaza for 42 days, and dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed.
During the first phase of the truce deal, Hamas is to release 33 hostages in exchange for the freeing of hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
On the first official day of the ceasefire, Hamas is to free three hostages, then another four on the seventh day, according to reports. After the first week, the group will make weekly releases.
The first 33 hostages to be freed will include women, children and those over 50 — almost all civilians, but the deal also commits Hamas to free all living female soldiers. Hamas will release living hostages first, but if the living doesn’t complete the 33 number, bodies will be handed over.
In exchange, Israel will free 30 Palestinian women, children or elderly for each living civilian hostage freed. For each female soldier freed, Israel will release 50 Palestinian prisoners, including 30 serving life sentences.
In exchange for bodies handed over by Hamas, Israel will free all women and children it has detained from Gaza since the war began on 7 October 2023.
During the proposed deal’s first phase, Israeli troops are to pull back into a buffer zone about 1km wide inside Gaza along its borders with Israel to allow displaced Palestinians to return to their home.
Throughout the first phase, Israel will retain control of the Philadelphi Corridor, the strip of territory along Gaza’s border with Egypt, including the Rafah Crossing.
In the first phase, aid entry to Gaza is to be ramped up to hundreds of trucks a day of food, medicine, supplies and fuel to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. That is far more than Israel has allowed in throughout the war.
In pics: Protesters in Israel demand the return of hostages held by Hamas
07:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Everything we know about the draft ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas
07:00
Alex Croft
A ceasefire deal for Gaza is said to be the closest it has been for months – with a truce also allowing the freeing of hostages still held by Hamas.
Hamas killed around 1,200 people in a terror attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, and abducted another 250. Some 100 Israelis are still being held captive inside the Gaza Strip, and the military believes at least a third of them are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants.
A week before US President-elect Donald Trump takes over from President Joe Biden, officials said a breakthrough had been achieved in talks in Doha and agreement could be near.
Barney Davis covers everything we know about the draft deal:
Trump’s inauguration factor in closing Gaza ceasefire deal, says ex-diplomat
06:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
US president-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration has been a major factor in closing the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, a former Israeli diplomat told CNN.
Secretary of state Antony Blinken has said the truce deal was “closer than it’s ever been before” after Hamas reportedly accepted the ceasefire draft to release the hostages.
“The tragic thing is… this deal was there for the taking for months,” said Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli consul general in New York.
“And yet somehow it didn’t happen for political reasons: (Israeli prime minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s political calculations to prolong the war and Hamas’ reluctance to accept some of the key ingredients in the deal.”
Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, over the weekend met the Israeli prime minister, who is facing pressure from both incumbent and incoming presidents to reach a deal.
Witkoff and Biden’s Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk, who are both currently in the region, have been working together in recent days with mediators to try to resolve some of the last remaining sticking points, CNN reported, citing sources.
“It had a tremendous influence on Israel, so much so that it validates those Netanyahu critics who said that he’s been prolonging the war for months waiting for Mr. Trump to get elected, and once Mr. Trump was elected in November, getting it nearer to the inauguration as possible,” Mr Pinkas added.
In pictures: Smoke smothers Gaza skyline despite ceasefire talks
06:01
Alex Croft
Israel-Saudi Arabia deal also seen positive progress, says Blinken
05:00
Alex Croft
The “complex” issues in a deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia to formalise diplomatic relations have been addressed, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said.
The deal would include a strategic alliance between Saudi Arabia and the US, along with cooperation in defence and military spheres.
It would also invoice an “energy agreement that includes civil nuclear cooperation and an economic agreement to bolster bilateral trade and investment for both sides,” Blinken said.
But Saudi Arabia wants efforts towards a Palestinian state to be part of the deal - something which Netanyahu’s office previously said it had not agreed to.
Israeli minister says he repeatedly prevented ceasefire deal
04:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israel’s national security minister Ben Gvir claimed he has repeatedly foiled a hostage and ceasefire deal with Hamas over the past year as he threatened to quit the Benjamin Netanyahu cabinet over a fresh deal being brokered by the US.
Gvir urged finance minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in a last-ditch attempt to prevent a ceasefire deal, which he described as a dangerous capitulation to Hamas. “In the last year, using our political power, we managed to prevent this deal from going ahead, time after time,” Gvir wrote on X.
He added: “This move is our only chance to prevent (the deal’s) execution, and prevent Israel’s surrender to Hamas, after more than a year of bloody war, in which more than 400 IDF (Israel Defence Forces) soldiers fell in the Gaza Strip, and to ensure that their deaths are not in vain.”
Smotrich said on Monday that he objects to the deal but did not threaten to leave Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition. A majority of ministers are expected to back the phased ceasefire deal, which details a halt to fighting and the release of hostages.
ICYMI: Biden administration will handover post-war plan to Trump’s team, says Blinken
04:04
Alex Croft
The Biden administration’s plan for the post-war management of Gaza will be handed over to president-elect Donald Trump’s team, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said today.
It includes details of an interim security mission including international forces and Palestinians, Mr Blinken said.
Laying out the plan in an address at Washington’s Atlantic Council thinktank, Mr Blinken said a reformed Palestinian Authority would lead Gaza under the plan.
International partners would be invited to help establish and run an interim administration in the enclave.
Gaza deal declaration on halt due to conflict over fine print
03:40
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The declaration of the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal was reportedly delayed due to disagreements on the final wording of the agreement.
One of the issues holding up the approval on Hamas’s end was related to the maps detailing the Israeli military’s withdrawal from the Strip as a part of the deal, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Two officials involved in the talks told The Associated Press yesterday that Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages. An Israeli official said progress has been made but the details are being finalised.
Israel strikes kill 17 Palestinians as truce deal talks continue
03:13
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israeli airstrikes on homes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 17 Palestinians, health officials in the Hamas-run Strip said.
Earlier strikes in Gaza killed at least 18 people, including two women and four children, according to local health officials, who said one woman was pregnant and the baby died as well.
The fresh attacks came as Israel and Hamas appeared to be narrowing in on a ceasefire deal to end the 15-month war and release dozens of hostages.
The deal is “closer than it’s ever been before”, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said in a speech to Washington-based thinktank Atlantic Council yesterday.
“We await final word from Hamas on its acceptance and until we get that word, will remain on the brink,” Mr Blinken said of the ceasefire deal.
Deal painful but hostages have ‘top priority’, says Germany’s Scholz
03:00
Alex Croft
Making a deal with Hamas is “painful” but the lives of hostages must take priority, German chancellor Olaf Scholz said.
“We understand how painful any agreement with the terrorist organisation Hamas is for Israel. Nevertheless, the lives of the hostages must now have top priority,” said Scholz in a statement, adding that it offered the chance of a ceasefire to help alleviate ongoing suffering in Gaza.
Watch: Hundreds of Israelis protest against potential peace deal with Hamas
02:03
Alex Croft
Hundreds of Israelis gathered in Jerusalem on Monday, 13 January, to protest against a potential ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Relatives of hostages, wounded soldiers and reservists came together under the slogan “no mandate to surrender to Hamas“ and called on the government to release the hostages only through victory over Hamas.
Demonstrators marched from near Israel’s parliament towards the Chords Bridge, lit with the blue and white Israeli flag, shouting slogans against humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza, prisoner exchanges or relinquishing conquered territory.
Protester Tamar Gesundheit, 69, said, “Please President Trump, do not pressure us to give into Hamas. Pressure them to give in to us.”
According to state broadcaster Kan, the protest was organised by the Gvura Forum, which represents some of the families of soldiers killed during the war.
In pictures: Residents sift through wreckage at the site of Israeli bombardment on a residential block in Gaza City
01:02
Alex Croft
Israeli minister vows to oppose Gaza ceasefire deal
00:01
Alex Croft
Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has vowed to oppose a ceasefire deal being negotiated in Qatar to halt Israel’s bombardment in Gaza and secure the release of hostages.
Mr Smotrich described the deal taking shape as “a catastrophe” for Israel’s security and said Israel should keep up its campaign in Gaza until the complete surrender of Hamas.
The hardline nationalist in prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition has been one of the fiercest opponents to a ceasefire deal with Gaza.
His comments yesterday triggered outrage with dozens of members of the hostage families, many carrying photographs of the missing, attacked Mr Smotrich in an emotionally charged encounter that lasted for more than an hour, accusing him of abandoning the 98 Israeli and foreign hostages still left in Gaza.
“The conditions are ripe, it’s time for a deal, the prime minister said it. How can you, the minister of finance, oppose the return of all these abductees,” asked Ofir Angrest, whose brother Matan was taken hostage during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.
Police minister threatens to quit over potential ceasefire deal
Tuesday 14 January 2025 23:07
Alex Croft
Israeli far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened on Tuesday to quit Benjamin Netanyahu’s government if he agrees to a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Ben-Gvir, whose departure would not bring down Netanyahu’s government, urged Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in a last-ditch attempt to prevent a ceasefire deal, which he described as a dangerous capitulation to Hamas.
“This move is our only chance to prevent (the deal’s) execution, and prevent Israel’s surrender to Hamas, after more than a year of bloody war, in which more than 400 IDF (Israel Defence Forces) soldiers fell in the Gaza Strip, and to ensure that their deaths are not in vain,” Ben-Gvir said on X.
Smotrich said on Monday that he objects to the deal but did not threaten to bolt Netanyahu’s coalition.
Hostage families ‘hopeful’ over deal
Tuesday 14 January 2025 22:15
Alex Croft
A statement from the Hostages and Families Forum Headquarters said they were “anxiously” following reports of a possible deal finally being struck for the return of their loved ones.
They said: “The families of the hostages have anxiously followed media reports about a potential deal that could bring their loved ones home.
“The families are hopeful that any deal, even a limited one, represents an important first step toward a comprehensive agreement.
“They are grateful for every hostage who returns home and see each release as progress toward their ultimate goal: the return of all hostages - the living for rehabilitation and the deceased for proper burial.
“We remain hopeful that each step brings us closer to bringing everyone home.
“Earlier this morning, families gathered outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, forming a human chain to send a powerful message: no hostage should be left behind.”
Israeli strike kills 10
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:42
Alex Croft
An Israeli airstrike has killed 10 people in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah on Tuesday, according to medics on the ground.
Others were wounded in the strike, the medics told Reuters.
ICYMI: Talks ongoing at ‘highest level’ in Doha
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:23
Alex Croft
A spokesman for the talks updated reporters amid rumours of breakthrough in a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.
He revealed ceasefire drafts had been handed to both sides but urged caution saying: “It’s important not to raise expectations that don’t link to what’s going on on the ground.
“We do believe we are at a final stage. We are hopeful this will lead very soon to an agreement. We appreciate the roles of both the Biden administration and President Trump himself in these talks.
“The talks in Doha are productive and positive. Obviously we have said this for months this war should have been over a long time ago.”
He added we needed “clarity and stability in the region”.
‘Hamas and Israel may well be on brink of ceasefire’ - Lammy
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:05
Alex Croft
Israel and Hamas “may well be on the brink” of a ceasefire deal, foreign secretary David Lammy told parliament today.
“As has been said by Joe Biden, we may well be on the brink of a deal, and I know this whole House will want to see that deal emerge in the coming days,” Mr Lammy said.
Referring to the British hostage held by Hamas, Emily Damari, shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel asked what resources the government will provide to “support the hostages through this release process”.
“On the issue of proof of life, we do all we can to establish this,” Mr Lammy replied, adding: “I want to reassure her that we are doing all we can to continue to make that necessary assessment.”
“As I say, we are, I hope, on the brink of a deal, it will be the first phase of a deal that will probably last six weeks. And that is important to bear in mind, all of us in this House hope to get to a ceasefire and the necessary rebuilding of Gaza with Israel safe and secure, and that will be very important so that the Middle East can move forward in an atmosphere of peace.”
Biden praises Egypt’s ‘essential’ role in ceasefire efforts
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:01
Alex Croft
US president Joe Biden has praised the “essential and historical” role of Egypt in efforts towards peace in the Middle East.
Mr Biden spoke with president Abdel-Fattah El Sisi of Egypt on Tuesday, and discussed the negotiations which had led to a hostage release and ceasefire deal coming increasingly close.
A statement from the Biden administration said: “The President thanked President Sisi for his leadership and praised the mediating role of Egypt throughout the process.
“He emphasized that this deal would never have been possible without Egypt’s essential and historic role in the Middle East and commitment to diplomacy for resolving conflicts.
“Both leaders emphasized the urgent need for a deal to be implemented to bring immediate relief to the people of Gaza through a surge in humanitarian aid enabled by the ceasefire together with the return of hostages to their families.”
Israeli government will support Gaza ceasefire - Israeli finance minister
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:42
Alex Croft
There will be a majority in the Israeli government to support a Gaza ceasefire deal if one is finally agreed, foreign minister Gideon Saar said on Tuesday.
It comes despite vocal opposition from hardline nationalist parties within the coalition, including from finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and policing minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
"I believe that if we achieve this hostage deal, we will have a majority in the government that will support the agreement," Mr Saar said in a Rome press conference with his Italian counterpart, Antonio Tajani.
During the press conference, Mr Saar also threatened that Israel would in Gaza “do the same thing we are doing in Judea and Samaria” - the term used by the Israeli state to refer to the West Bank - if there was any future terrorist activity within the strip.
Watch: Antony Blinken heckled by protesters during Gaza ceasefire news conference
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:31
Alex Croft
This is the moment US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heckled during a news conference in Washington.
During his speech on Tuesday (14 January), Blinken made a last-minute case for a plan for the post-war reconstruction and governance of Gaza as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appears tantalizingly close to completion.
Shouts could then be heard from a protester, who said: “Secretary Blinken. Your legacy will be genocide. You will forever be known as bloody Blinken, secretary of genocide. You have the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent people on your hands. We have spent a year...
Blinken replied: “Thank you, I respect your views, please allow me to share mine.”
Donald Trump believes ceasefire deal will be completed by end of the week
Tuesday 14 January 2025 19:45
Alex Croft
US president-elect Donald Trump said he believed a hostage and ceasefire deal between Hamas in Gaza and Israel could be completed by the end of the week.
“We are very close to getting it done, and 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, and they will get it done,” Mr Trump said in a Newsmax interview.
“And I understand it’s, it’s been - there’s been a handshake and they’re getting it finished,” he added. “But it has to take place.”
Mr Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is in the region and has met with Israeli and Qatari officials in recent days.
The president-elect last week warned that “all hell” would be unleashed on Hamas if a deal is not reached before his inauguration on 20 January.
Hamas has not responded because Israel has not detailed of military withdrawal, official says
Tuesday 14 January 2025 19:00
Alex Croft
Hamas has not delivered its official response to mediators yet, an official from the Palestinian militant group told Reuters on Tuesday.
This is because Israel did not submit any maps of its forces’ withdrawal from Gaza, the official added.
Full report: Gaza ceasefire ‘closer than ever’ as US says truce between Israel and Hamas could ‘come anytime’
Tuesday 14 January 2025 18:59
Alex Croft
The US and Qatar have said that a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Israel and Hamas is closer than ever before, with America’s top diplomat saying a truce could be agreed “at any time”.
Negotiators met in Doha on Tuesday hoping to hammer out final details of a deal, with hours worth of talks taking place, which would also include the release of hostages held by Hamas in return for Palestinians held in Israeli jails being freed..
“I believe we will get a ceasefire,” the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said during a speech Tuesday, asserting it was up to Hamas. “It’s right on the brink. It’s closer than it’s ever been before,” and word could “come anytime”.
“It could come in the hours ahead. It could come in the days ahead,” Mr Blinken said. Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari told a news conference that talks on the final details were underway after both sides were presented with a text.
Israel-Saudi Arabia deal also seen positive progress
Tuesday 14 January 2025 18:27
Alex Croft
The “complex” issues in a deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia to formalise diplomatic relations have been addressed, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said.
The deal would include a strategic alliance between Saudi Arabia and the US, along with cooperation in defence and military spheres.
It would also invoice an “energy agreement that includes civil nuclear cooperation and an economic agreement to bolster bilateral trade and investment for both sides,” Blinken said.
But Saudi Arabia wants efforts towards a Palestinian state to be part of the deal - something which Netanyahu’s office previously said it had not agreed to.
‘Political horizon’ needed for Palestinians, says Blinken
Tuesday 14 January 2025 17:50
Alex Croft
US secretary of state has spoken of the need to “forge a new reality” in the Middle East, stressing the need for a “political horizon” to resolve the broader conflict in the Middle East.
“There’s a very strong and widely held belief in the region and beyond that dealing with the threat posed by Hamas militarily may be necessary, but it’s insufficient,” Mr Blinken said.
“And absent a political dimension, what we’re looking at ultimately is an enduring insurgency that will bleed and drain Israel and a perpetual war.”
Ceasefire is ‘right on the brink’, says Blinken
Tuesday 14 January 2025 17:36
Alex Croft
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal was “right on the brink”, adding that a final word from Hamas is being awaited.
"It's right on the brink. It's closer than it's ever been before. But, right now, as we sit here, we await final word from Hamas on its acceptance, and until we get that word, we'll remain on the brink," Blinken said during an event at the Washington-based thinktank, the Atlantic Council.
Biden administration will handover post-war plan to Trump’s team, says Blinken
Tuesday 14 January 2025 16:25
Alex Croft
The Biden administration’s plan for the post-war management of Gaza will be handed over to president-elect Donald Trump’s team, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said today.
It includes details of an interim security mission including international forces and Palestinians, Mr Blinken said.
Laying out the plan in an address at Washington’s Atlantic Council thinktank, Mr Blinken said a reformed Palestinian Authority would lead Gaza under the plan.
International partners would be invited to help establish and run an interim administration in the enclave.
Report: Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal ‘on the brink’ of agreement, says David Lammy
Tuesday 14 January 2025 16:01
Alex Croft
A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is “on the brink” of agreement Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said.
He said a deal to enable the “rebuilding of Gaza with Israel safe and secure” will allow the region to “move forward in an atmosphere of peace”, as MPs raised concerns on the safety of hostages held by Hamas.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar have spent the past year trying to mediate an end to the 15-month war in the region and secure the release of dozens of hostages captured in Hamas’s attack on October 7 2023.
Qatar, a key mediator in the talks, said Israel and Hamas are at the “closest point” yet to an agreement.
Read the full report:
How will hostage releases play out?
Tuesday 14 January 2025 15:38
Barney Davis
In the first stage, 33 hostages would be set free. These include children, women including female soldiers, men above 50 and the wounded and sick.
Israel believes most are alive but has had no official confirmation from Hamas.
The first stage would last up to 60 days. If it proceeds as planned, on the 16th day from the deal taking effect, negotiations would start on a second stage during which the remaining living hostages - male soldiers and younger civilian males - would be released and the bodies of dead hostages returned.
In return for the hostages, Israel will free from its jails more than 1,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails, including convicts serving long sentences for deadly attacks. Where the prisoners would be sent has not yet been agreed but anyone convicted of murder or deadly attacks would not be released to the occupied West Bank.
Anyone from Hamas who took part in the October 7 attack on Israel would not be released.
In pictures: Explosions dominate Gaza skyline despite impending ceasefire deal
Tuesday 14 January 2025 15:16
Alex Croft
Watch live: Blinken presents post-war plan for Gaza at Atlantic Council
Tuesday 14 January 2025 14:55
Alex Croft
Blinken make final push for reconstruction plan - US official
Tuesday 14 January 2025 14:48
Alex Croft
US secretary of state Antony Blinken will make a final case on Tuesday for a plan for the post-war reconstruction and governance in Gaza, according to an official.
Mr Blinken and his aides have been trying to sell the plan to major players in the region for months. It outlines how Gaza would be run without Hamas, details reconstruction priorities and covers security in the territory.
He will push his proposal in a speech to Washington-based thinktank the Atlantic Council, and will discuss the importance of ensuring its success after the Biden administration leaves office.
The Gaza plan is just one part of the speech, the official, told the Associated Press. It will also cover Iran, the potential normalisation of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and other elements of US Middle East policy.
Hamas has accepted the deal - Palestinian politician
Tuesday 14 January 2025 14:19
Alex Croft
A Palestinian politician has said they believe Hamas has already accepted the deal.
Speaking to the BBC’s World at One radio programme, the leader of West Bank-based political party the Palestinian National Initiative, Mustafa Barghouti, said: “The deal is almost ready and I think the Palestinian side has agreed to it, accepted it. They’re waiting for the Israeli final response.”
"So we’re closer to the deal than any time before," he says, adding that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not able to tolerate pressure from within Israel and from the incoming Trump administration.
Asked to clarify whether Hamas accepted the deal, he said: "Yes I can say that they have accepted all the conditions.”
Mr Barghouti added that the deal is “almost identical to what was proposed in July”, but that “more than 10,000 lives” have been lost in the six months since.
Deal painful but hostages have ‘top priority’, says Germany’s Scholz
Tuesday 14 January 2025 14:00
Alex Croft
Making a deal with Hamas is “painful” but the lives of hostages must take priority, German chancellor Olaf Scholz said.
“We understand how painful any agreement with the terrorist organisation Hamas is for Israel. Nevertheless, the lives of the hostages must now have top priority,” said Scholz in a statement, adding that it offered the chance of a ceasefire to help alleviate ongoing suffering in Gaza.
‘Hamas and Israel may well be on brink of ceasefire' - Lammy
Tuesday 14 January 2025 13:42
Alex Croft
Israel and Hamas “may well be on the brink” of a ceasefire deal, foreign secretary David Lammy told parliament today.
"As has been said by Joe Biden, we may well be on the brink of a deal, and I know this whole House will want to see that deal emerge in the coming days,” Mr Lammy said.
Referring to the British hostage held by Hamas, Emily Damari, shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel asked what resources the government will provide to “support the hostages through this release process”.
"On the issue of proof of life, we do all we can to establish this,” Mr Lammy replied, adding: “I want to reassure her that we are doing all we can to continue to make that necessary assessment.”
"As I say, we are, I hope, on the brink of a deal, it will be the first phase of a deal that will probably last six weeks. And that is important to bear in mind, all of us in this House hope to get to a ceasefire and the necessary rebuilding of Gaza with Israel safe and secure, and that will be very important so that the Middle East can move forward in an atmosphere of peace."
Everything we know about the draft ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas
Tuesday 14 January 2025 13:19
Alex Croft
A ceasefire deal for Gaza is said to be the closest it has been for months – with a truce also allowing the freeing of hostages still held by Hamas.
Hamas killed around 1,200 people in a terror attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, and abducted another 250. Some 100 Israelis are still being held captive inside the Gaza Strip, and the military believes at least a third of them are dead.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants.
A week before US President-elect Donald Trump takes over from President Joe Biden, officials said a breakthrough had been achieved in talks in Doha and agreement could be near.
Barney Davis covers everything we know about the draft deal:
In pictures: Residents sift through wreckage at the site of Israeli bombardment on a residential block in Jalaa Street in Gaza City
Tuesday 14 January 2025 12:47
Barney Davis
