By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
GAZA CITY/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Negotiators from Israel and Hamas have agreed to a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, officials said on Wednesday, in the hope of ending the 15-month-war that has killed thousands.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani was set to announce that Israel and Hamas agreed “to a three-stage deal” to release the 98 remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza at a press conference scheduled for Wednesday evening.
Several sources said 33 hostages are expected to be released in the first stage.
However, the office of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, cautioned that several details still have to be worked out but added that they were expected to be finalized within hours.
As news of a ceasefire poured in, supporters of Israeli hostages were seen embracing each other. In Gaza, a vehicle with Hamas military wing operatives was seen roaming the streets of Khan Yunis to celebrate the ceasefire, underscoring the challenges ahead for Israel.
If finalized, the cease-fire would take effect immediately, according to a White House official.
AID EXPECTED
The United Nations and other aid groups said they hope to use the ceasefire to bring in massive humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump rushed to claim credit for the truce between Israel and Hamas, calling the deal “epic” on his Truth Social media platform. He had threatened Hamas that “all hell will break out” if hostages were not released before his inauguration on January 20.
Trump said Wednesday that the accord could have only happened due to his “historic” election victory “as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans and our Allies.”
He vowed that his national security team and his pick for Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, will continue to “work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven.”
He added, “We will continue promoting PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH throughout the region, as we build upon the momentum of this ceasefire to further expand the Historic Abraham Accords,” referring to the bilateral agreements on Arab–Israeli normalization signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain.
“This is only the beginning of great things to come for America and, indeed, the World!” he added.
MORE ‘VICTORIES’
“We have achieved so much without even being in the White House. Just imagine all of the wonderful things that will happen when I return to the White House and my Administration is fully confirmed so they can secure more Victories for the United States!”
Yet tensions remained high, with Israel reportedly carrying out an air strike on what Palestinian officials said was “the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank,” killing at least four people and injuring two others.
The Hamas-controlled Palestinian health ministry said four bodies were brought to a hospital in Jenin following the airstrike.
On Tuesday, an Israel Defense Forces drone strike in Jenin killed six Palestinians, including a 15-year-old child, according to Hamas-controlled authorities.
Israel says its airstrikes are aimed at Hamas fighters but that civilian casualties are unavoidable as Hamas uses civilians as “human shields.”
Hamas-controlled authorities say more than 46,000 Palestinians were killed since war broke out in Gaza following the massacre by Hamas of some 1,200 people in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
A suspected Islamic extremist armed with a knife stabbed three men in front of schoolchildren at a train station near Zurich, Switzerland’s financial capital, officials said Thursday.
The Pentagon has spent months positioning warships, aircraft, surveillance assets, and Marines around the Caribbean as President Donald Trump weighs possible military action against Cuba, according to a Politico report.
U.S. Central Command has confirmed to Congress that foreign adversaries have exploited commercially available cell phone location data to surveil and potentially target American military personnel in active war zones, raising fresh concerns over troop security in the Middle East.
The U.S. Department of War is stepping up efforts to protect Christians in Nigeria after President Donald Trump directed military leaders to focus on terrorist networks targeting believers in the West African nation, War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel now controls roughly 60 percent of the Gaza Strip and has ordered the Israel Defense Forces to expand that control to 70 percent, signaling a major escalation in Jerusalem’s campaign to weaken Hamas and prevent the terror group from rebuilding its military rule.
Israel carried out a targeted strike Thursday in a suburb south of Beirut, marking its first attack near the Lebanese capital in three weeks as the conflict with Hezbollah and Iran-backed terrorist groups intensifies.
President Donald Trump is weighing whether to approve a 60-day memorandum of understanding with Iran that would extend the fragile ceasefire in the Middle East, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted shipping, and launch a new round of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.