Home Australia Ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas ‘closer than ever’: End of months of bloodshed could be just hours away

Ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas ‘closer than ever’: End of months of bloodshed could be just hours away

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Relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza gathered yesterday in front of the Ministry of Defense to hold a demonstration demanding a ceasefire and a hostage exchange agreement in Gaza.

A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas to end bloodshed in Gaza was close to being “over” last night, Donald Trump said.

Relatives of Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas were told during a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu that a deal could be reached within hours to let their loved ones go and end the war.

Relatives of Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas were told during a meeting that a deal could be reached within hours to let their loved ones go and end the war.

Work was underway on the ground last night to prepare for the transfer of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners as mediators negotiated final terms in Doha.

Meanwhile, Egypt was also preparing to open the Rafah border crossing to allow captives to leave the Gaza Strip as Israel’s medical teams and hospitals prepared to receive them.

An official involved in the talks in Qatar said this is the most serious negotiation since the last ceasefire in November 2023, when they entered the final round yesterday.

Trump said: “I understand there’s been a handshake and they’re finishing it up and maybe by the end of the week, but it has to happen.”

Both sides have broadly agreed to an initial exchange of 33 hostages for hundreds of terrorists imprisoned for 43 days, with three hostages released per week.

But Hamas has yet to reveal how many of those captives are alive, which will affect the number of Palestinians who will be freed.

Relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza gathered yesterday in front of the Ministry of Defense to hold a demonstration demanding a ceasefire and a hostage exchange agreement in Gaza.

The protesters carried photographs of their families and banners that said 'Stop the war'

The protesters carried photographs of their families and banners that said ‘Stop the war’

An Israeli Black Hawk military helicopter lands in northern Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas on January 14.

An Israeli Black Hawk military helicopter lands in northern Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas on January 14.

It is the first phase of a multi-stage deal that would end with the release of all 98 hostages, the withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip and the start of work to rebuild the ruined territory.

Observers have suggested that Trump’s inauguration next Monday is considered an unofficial deadline.

The president-elect’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, attended the talks and was seen as vital in leaning on Israel in the early hours of Monday to secure a “breakthrough.”

Israel has reportedly agreed to withdraw from Gaza for the first time, saying it will do so once the last hostage is freed. This had been a major sticking point previously, with Hamas demanding a withdrawal before the captives were released.

Arab officials said Mohammed Sinwar, the hardline Hamas leader in Gaza and brother of slain former leader Yahya Sinwar, agreed in principle to the terms of the deal yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“Today we are closer than ever to reaching an agreement,” said Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “The ball is now in Hamas’s court. If Hamas accepts, the agreement is ready to be concluded and implemented. I think we will get a ceasefire.”

Israeli military vehicles move inside the Gaza Strip, seen from southern Israel, on January 7.

Israeli military vehicles move inside the Gaza Strip, seen from southern Israel, on January 7.

A Palestinian looks at a damaged residential building following an overnight Israeli attack in Deir al-Balah on January 8.

A Palestinian looks at a damaged residential building following an overnight Israeli attack in Deir al-Balah on January 8.

Once the finer details are worked out, the plan will be presented to the Israeli cabinet for final approval.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition allies Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich threatened to resign and collapse the government, calling the “terrible deal” a “catastrophe.”

Ben-Gvir even boasted of having repeatedly sabotaged previous truce talks. Jewish extremists want to continue the war until Hamas is completely destroyed.

But moderate opposition leader Yair Lapid has promised to intervene and prevent the government from collapsing to achieve the agreement.

A source told the Telegraph: ‘Lapid will offer a safety net to Netanyahu to prevent his government from falling after a deal is struck, for an agreed period of time.

‘In other words, there is no excuse (for not reaching an agreement).’

The families of the 98 hostages now face an agonizing wait to find out if their loved ones are alive and who will be released first.

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