Hamas and Israel have reached an agreement on the terms of a ceasefire in the ongoing 15-month war on Gaza as confirmed by both Qatar’s Prime Minister and the US President. US President-elect Donald Trump also announced that a deal had been struck for the release of hostages held by Hamas, stating they would be freed “shortly.” “We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly. Thank you!” Trump wrote on Truth Social network. Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani held a news conference where he provided further details about the ceasefire agreement, as the country has been working with Egypt to facilitate talks toward a Gaza ceasefire. The Qatari Prime Minister said that the ceasefire would commence on 19 January and that both Israel and Hamas had agreed to the release of detainees and captives. Hamas is set to release 33 hostages in the first phase. At the same time, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed from Israeli jails. The hostages’ release marks the first phase of the agreement. Negotiations for the second phase, aimed at ending the war,…
