Israel, Hamas appear to agree on tentative Gaza ceasefire deal: officials

Qatari and Hamas officials say a ceasefire has been reached to pause Israel's military offensive in Gaza and release dozens of hostages.

Israel and Hamas have tentatively agreed to a ceasefire deal, mediators announced Wednesday, pausing a devastating 15-month conflict in the Gaza Strip and raising the possibility of winding down the deadliest and most destructive fighting between the bitter enemies.

The deal, coming after weeks of painstaking negotiations in the Qatari capital, promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and would allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes. It also would flood badly needed humanitarian aid into a devastated territory.

Three officials from the U.S. and one from Hamas confirmed that a deal had been reached, while a senior Israeli official said details are still being ironed out.

All three U.S. officials requested anonymity to discuss the contours of the deal before the official announcement by mediators in Doha.

President Joe Biden was preparing to address the breakthrough agreement later Thursday, officials said.

The agreement still needs to be approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet, but is expected to go into effect in the coming days.

The Israeli government will vote on a Gaza ceasefire deal on Thursday, a government official told Reuters.

The deal is expected to deliver an initial six-week halt to fighting that is to be accompanied by the opening of negotiations on ending the war altogether.