Gaza ceasefire deal being finalized, Palestinian official tells BBC

The terms of an agreement between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages are being finalized, a Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told the BBC.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said a deal was “close” and his administration was working on the matter as a matter of urgency.

An Israeli official also told Reuters that talks were in “advanced stages” and a deal could be reached within “hours, days or longer.”

US President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sundayand a meeting on Monday with Qatari Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who is mediating the negotiations.

Hamas and Israeli officials held indirect talks in the same building on Monday, Palestinian officials told the BBC.

The official revealed some potential details of the agreement, saying “detailed technical discussions took a considerable amount of time.”

Both sides agreed that Hamas would release three hostages on the first day of the deal, after which Israel would begin withdrawing its troops from densely populated areas.

After seven days, Hamas will release four more hostages and Israel will allow displaced people in the south to return to the north, but only by foot via the coastal road.

Cars, animal-drawn vehicles and trucks will be allowed to pass through the passage near Saladin Road and will be monitored by X-ray machines operated by the Qatar-Egypt technical security team.

The agreement includes provisions for Israeli troops to remain in Israel philadelphia corridor The first phase maintains an 800-meter buffer zone on the eastern and northern borders for 42 days.

Israel also agreed to release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including about 190 who had served 15 years or more. In exchange, Hamas will release 34 hostages.

Negotiations for the second and third phase agreements will begin on the 16th day of the ceasefire.

The father of an Israeli-American hostage told reporters BBC News Hour He “wanted to believe” that Israel had “agreed” to a deal.

Jonathan Dekel-Chen said he “lived in fear” every day as he worried about his son, Sagui.

As reports mount that a deal is close, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said a deal could be reached “this week,” the final week of Biden's presidency.

He added that Biden would speak with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

President-elect Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkopf was also in attendance in Doha.

Trump has previously threatened If the hostages are not released, 'Hell' will break loose before he took office on January 20.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar told reporters that progress had been made and the deal looked “much better than before.”

but The latest developments come as Netanyahu faces strong opposition within his ruling coalition over his potential deal.

Ten members of the right, including some from Netanyahu's own Likud party, sent him a letter opposing the truce.

As the talks took place, Gaza's civil defense agency reported that a wave of Israeli air strikes on Gaza City on Monday had killed more than 50 people.

“They bombed schools, homes and even crowd gatherings,” civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal told AFP.

The Israeli military said it was investigating the reports. Separately, five soldiers were allegedly killed in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday.

The war was triggered by a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage to Gaza.

In response, Israel launched a military offensive into Gaza to destroy Hamas.

The Hamas health ministry in Gaza said more than 46,500 people have been killed during the war.

Israel says 94 hostages remain in Gaza, 34 of whom are presumed dead, as well as four Israelis abducted before the war, two of whom have died.