Officials claim Gaza ceasefire, but Israel says details still not ironed out

The prime minister of Qatar, one of the key mediators, said the ceasefire would take effect on January 19

Relatives and friends of people killed and abducted by Hamas and taken into Gaza, react to the ceasefire announcement as they take part in a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Picture: AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal to pause the war in the Gaza Strip, multiple officials announced on Wednesday, raising the possibility of winding down the deadliest and most destructive fighting between the bitter enemies.

The deal, coming after weeks of painstaking negotiations in the Qatari capital, promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and would allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes.