Biden talks Israel and Hamas ceasefire, hostage deal

Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on Wednesday for a ceasefire and the release of hostages in their development 15 months of warwhich has it caused destruction and inflamed strains throughout the region.

“This agreement will end the fighting in Gaza, increase much-needed humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians and reunite hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity,” President Joe Biden said in a statement about the deal.

An Israeli official reported the talks he confirmed the agreement to NBC News.

The breakthrough happened a few days before the nomination of the presidential candidate Donald Trump on January 20 — a date seen by many as the de facto deadline for mediation after Trump vowed there would be “hell to pay” when Hamas took office unless it released Israeli hostages.

“We have a deal with the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released soon,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday.

The long-awaited agreement follows a meeting between Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani with Hamas negotiators and, separately, Israeli negotiators.

“The ceasefire is very good news for Israel, for America, for the Palestinian people and especially for the families of the hostages who have waited so long in agony,” NY Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor on Wednesday.

The Israel Defense Forces also posted a post related to the deal on X, “Wings of Freedom is the name given to the IDF’s preparations for the return of hostages.”

News of the deal sparked jubilant demonstrations in the streets of Israel and Gaza late Wednesday local time.

The two presidents are ambassadors Joe Biden and Trump have been in recent rounds of negotiations. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the proposed deal was based on a framework the Biden administration presented in May.

Senator Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for secretary of state, was testifying before him Senate confirmation hearing when the deal was announced on Wednesday. Trump has indicated that Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has been involved in conversations since Witkoff’s announcement.

“Everyone involved deserves credit for the ceasefire that the (Senate committee) chairman just announced,” Rubio said. “But Steve Witkoff has been a critical component, and has been involved from day one.”

Witkoff is not yet an official envoy of the US government, and will only take office after Trump is sworn in on January 20.

Witkoff has traveled to Qatar and Israel several times for interviews since being cast.

Blinken called Witkoff’s involvement “critical,” and stressed the importance of making sure Trump continues to support the deal once he’s in office.

In recent months, both Hamas and Israeli officials have agreed to a ceasefire in exchange for the release of Israelis held hostage by the Gaza-based militant group.

But the continuing sticking point has been that the complete release of the hostages by Hamas must result in the complete withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza and an end to the war, with Israeli leaders insisting that the Gaza campaign must continue until Hamas is disbanded.

Hamas planned and led the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and took 253 hostages. About 116 of these captives have since been released.

The October attack sparked the subsequent Israel-Hamas war and a relentless Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which Palestinian health officials say has killed more than 46,000 people and destroyed much of the blockaded territory.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates.