Gaza ceasefire deal made after last-minute dispute

After a potential snag could have stopped ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel, a deal appears to have been struck.

Update 2:07 p.m. ET Jan. 15: President Joe Biden confirmed the ceasefire agreement, speaking during an afternoon news conference, that it was the deal that he “laid out last May” and will be done in three phases. The first will last six weeks with a full ceasefire which includes the release of hostages including Americans held by Hamas.

During the six weeks, negotiations can begin to move to phase which is to end the war with the caveat that if an agreement to end the war isn’t reached by the end of the six-week ceasefire, the ceasefire will continue and more hostages would eventually be released.

In phase three the remains of the hostages killed will be returned to their families, Biden said.

Original report: Minutes before the announcement that a deal was made to enter a ceasefire and release hostages, The Associated Press initially reported, that negotiations hit a roadblock. The AP said the sticking point was a change that Hamas wanted with security along the Gaza-Egypt border. Israel disagreed with the proposal

But moments later, CNN reported that there was an agreement that could pause the 15-month war in the Gaza Strip.

Qatar’s prime minister was acting as a mediator and met separately with leaders from Hamas and Israel and the disagreement was resolved.

The war is not over, but fighting is on hold while as CNN reported, a “phased release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.”

The AP reported that dozens of hostages held by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel will all be released. People who lived in Gaza before the war began will be able to return. Humanitarian aid will also be allowed into the area.

The cabinet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still needs to approve the ceasefire, but it is expected to do so within days.

The ceasefire is expected to last six weeks initially and will also bring more negotiations to bring the war to a complete end.

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