Gaza ceasefire deal to begin on Sunday - ‘permanent end to war’

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Good news... if it sticks!

From the Guardian live feed

Gaza ceasefire deal to begin on Sunday; Biden says Israel to negotiate ‘permanent end to war’

Israeli president calls on Netanyahu to ‘accept and approve’ ceasefire deal; US president confirms agreement and says US hostages to be free in first phase

 

20.43 CET

Gaza ceasefire deal: what we know so far. Here’s a look at where things stand:

• Hamas and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire deal, Qatar announced on Wednesday evening in Doha. The deal, which is set to be begin on Sunday and will last 42 days, will see the exchange of hostages detained by Hamas and Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons.
  

 

• Other aspects of the deal include the return of Palestinians, who have been forcibly displaced by Israeli forces, to their homes across the Gaza strip. The deal will also see the facilitation of travel of people wounded by Israeli attacks and sick people in order to receive treatment, as well as the positioning of Israeli forces across the Gaza border.
  

 

• Joe Biden has confirmed that Americans will be part of the hostage release. “This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much needed-humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity,” Biden said.
  

 

• Egypt is “preparing to bring in the largest possible amount of aid to the Gaza Strip,” according to state media reports. Coordination was underway to “open the Palestinian Rafah crossing to allow the entry of international aid” into Gaza, Egyptian state media reported.
  

 

• Israel’s security cabinet will meet at 11am local time (0900 GMT) on Thursday to approve the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, the Times of Israel is reporting, citing Hebrew media. The Israeli government will vote on the deal on Thursday, with a majority of ministers expected to approve the deal, a government official told Reuters.
  

 

• The US president-elect, Donald Trump, has rushed to claim credit for the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in another Truth Social post. Describing the deal as “epic”, Trump said the agreement could have only happened as a result of his “historic” election victory “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”.