Israel and Hamas have agreed to a major ceasefire deal, in what both the Biden administration and incoming Trump administration are touting as a huge success.
Hamas leadership delivered its signed portion of the agreement to representatives for Egypt and Qatar early Wednesday morning.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani is expected to officially announce the deal later on Wednesday, as Israel and Hamas leaders have yet to confirm the terms. President Joe Biden’s administration said this week that an agreement was imminent. President-elect Donald Trump preempted the announcement with a post on Truth Social saying that the deal was done.
“WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!” Trump wrote.
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The Biden administration has been attempting to broker a ceasefire deal for more than a year. In late May, it presented the framework of the deal that was ultimately agreed to, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken said was the basis of this agreement.
The framework implements the ceasefire and release of Israeli hostages in phases, beginning over 42 days with hostages over the age of 50 and the severely wounded or sick. The framework also outlines Israel’s position in Gaza and will allow Palestinians to make their way back north.
This round of ceasefire talks involved both the incoming and outgoing U.S. administrations, according to senior White House officials.
In a call earlier this month, John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesperson, said the ceasefire talks involved continually updating the incoming administration’s officials as Brett McGurk, the White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, went to Doha, Qatar, to participate in talks.
“We are keeping the Trump team, including Mr. Witkoff, fully informed of what we’re doing,” Kirby said.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s chosen Middle East envoy, joined McGurk in Doha earlier this month, telling reporters that he was hopeful to have good news to report.
Kirby stressed that officials from the Biden administration were the ones actually conducting negotiations.
News of the deal arrived in the Senate suddenly Wednesday when Sen. Jim Risch, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, interrupted the committee’s confirmation hearing for secretary of state nominee Marco Rubio with the news.
As for the timing, Rep. Gregory Meeks told NOTUS he was just “thankful” a deal had been reached.
“I think we all would have liked for this to happen a long time ago,” Meeks said. “We know that the Biden administration has been working at this relentlessly, over and over and over again … so getting it done is what is important. Wish it would have happened sooner, but getting it done now is a benefit, and I’m thankful for that.”
Israel’s cabinet is reportedly expected to meet Thursday to vote on the ceasefire deal.
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John T. Seward is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.
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