Israel and Hamas may be on the brink of ceasefire. What we know: NPR

Police scuffled with demonstrators blocking a road in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday during protests demanding a ceasefire and the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Ariel Shalit/AP

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Ariel Shalit/AP

More than 15 months into the most destructive war in history, Israel and Hamas are very close to a ceasefire, according to officials involved in the negotiations.

Majid Ansari, adviser to Qatar's prime minister and spokesman for the foreign ministry, told reporters during talks in Doha that a deal was “not far away.” He added that the main hurdles had been overcome and negotiations were now “about the final details”.

He declined to disclose details of the impending agreement. But an Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the talks, outlined some key terms.

The deal under discussion envisages a six-week pause in fighting, during which the 33 hostages held by Hamas and other Gaza militants would be released in exchange for more Palestinian detainees, according to a formula that would give them more weight. Hostages released alive. A Palestinian official, who was not authorized to speak to the media, said the total number of Palestinians expected to be released from Israeli detention was about 1,000.

Israel described the freed hostages as humanitarian cases, with Israeli officials saying they included women, people over 50 years old, children and the injured and sick.

The impending deal comes after weeks of intensive negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Doha. Representatives from both sides were in separate rooms, with U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators delivering messages.

Special envoys from President Joe Biden's administration and President-elect Trump's team were also on hand to pressure both sides to reach a deal. Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Qatar over the weekend, including Mossad intelligence chief David Barnea and Shin Bet internal security Anticipations grew after an Israeli delegation, including agency director Ronen Bar, arrived to attend the talks.

Negotiators aim to sign a deal or reach a ceasefire by Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.

Even once the deal is signed, it will need approval from the Israeli cabinet and government and will likely be challenged in Israel's Supreme Court. Therefore, it may take several days for these provisions to be implemented.

But the first exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees is expected to take place immediately after implementation begins, possibly even on the same day. The two sides are also discussing arrangements to allow displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza to return to their homes in the north.

A new round of negotiations will begin 16 days after the signing of the first phase agreement to discuss the further withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, but Israeli officials have said that a full withdrawal will not occur until all hostages are released.

Much of the public in Israel and Gaza is weary from the conflict and welcomes a deal that promises a final end. However, some conservative members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government have expressed opposition to the agreement, arguing that Hamas should be completely eradicated to prevent a repeat of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, when Hamas militants and Other militants killed about 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages.

In late 2023, Israel and Hamas reached a similar agreement and about 100 hostages were released, while others were rescued or found dead. As part of the deal, some 240 Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons.

Families of many remaining hostages not scheduled to be released in the first phase fear pressure to free their loved ones will wane. They have been lobbying for a comprehensive deal to end the war and secure the release of all hostages.

The new energy in the talks coincides with a surge in fighting there. At least 79 Palestinians have been killed since Saturday, according to Gaza health authorities, while the Israeli military reported nine soldiers were killed.

The casualties brought the total death toll during the war to more than 46,000, according to Gaza health authorities, who did not specify how many of them were combatants. They noted, however, that the majority of those confirmed dead were women and children. The Israeli military says 405 soldiers have been killed in fighting since the attack on Gaza on October 7.

Israel and Hamas have fought multiple wars since the Palestinian armed group seized control of the Gaza Strip from the Palestinian Authority in 2007. However, no previous conflict had been so long or so deadly.