Israel and Hamas signed a historic ceasefire agreement on Wednesday, January 15, after 15 months of devastating war in Gaza following the bloodcurdling October 7 attacks, a senior US official was quoted as saying by media reports.
The deal was signed days before Donald Trump would assume office, his second term after winning the US presidential elections earlier last year.
The details will be announced shortly in Doha, the capital of Qatar, where Israel and Hamas have been engaged in intense negotiations for several weeks.
The initial phase of the deal includes a 42-day ceasefire and the release of 33 hostages, with additional releases planned throughout the period. Reports quoting another senior U.S. official said that within 48 to 72 hours of the agreement, three hostages would be freed, along with an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, and there would be an increase in the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
