Israel and Hamas Work on Final Details of Gaza Ceasefire Agreement, Officials Say

Mediators rushed Wednesday to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire that would free hostages held in Gaza, after more than a year of devastating war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed much of the territory.

Israel and Hamas have never publicly accepted the deal, and Israeli and American officials say they are waiting for a final answer from Hamas. The Palestinian Authority said on Tuesday that the talks had entered their “final stages.”

Negotiators and mediators in Qatar were trying to resolve outstanding issues, according to two officials familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue.

Those issues include maps of how Israeli forces will be redeployed inside Gaza during the ceasefire, and a list of Palestinian prisoners scheduled for release in exchange for Israeli and foreign hostages, one of the officials said.

Israel also demanded a plan to prevent armed forces from returning to northern Gaza. The negotiators are also trying to clarify details about the screening of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have left and are expected to head north of Gaza from the south, where many have been deported, in the event of a conflict, said the official.

The latest round of talks was held in Qatar, a key mediator, along with Egypt and the United States. Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Tuesday that the two sides had overcome a major disagreement.

But in order to implement the agreement, the Hamas delegation in Doha must also receive the approval of the group's leaders in Gaza, including Mohammad Sinwar, the brother of Yahya who led the group before he was killed by Israel in October.

Hamas officials did not respond to questions about whether Mr. Sinwar had responded to the proposal.

In Israel, some hard-line members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government also expressed opposition to the deal. But on Wednesday, Gideon Saar, who is the minister of foreign affairs in Israel, said that he believes that the majority will sign the agreement when it will be voted on in the Cabinet.

Months of shuttle diplomacy have failed to end the war in Gaza, which began after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 kidnapped. About 105 hostages were later released during the week of November 2023 in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

Israel and Hamas have held several informal talks, all of which have ended in mutual recriminations. Officials familiar with the talks expressed great confidence while noting that there is always a chance that the talks will be fruitful.

The current deal is similar to the three-phase ceasefire plan announced by President Biden in late May, according to several officials familiar with the negotiations. Israel and Hamas will first observe a six-week ceasefire agreement in which Hamas will release women, elderly men, and sick hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinians held captive by Israel.

Under that proposal, Israel and Hamas would then declare a “permanent cessation of hostilities,” Israeli troops would withdraw from Gaza and the remaining hostages would be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners. But the details have been highly controversial: Hamas has demanded that Israel commit to ending the war, which Israel opposes.