Israel and Hamas reach HISTORIC ceasefire deal as hostages set to return home after 15 months in captivity

WATCH: Paul Richards says the 'jubilation' over the Gaza ceasefire deal may be a little early

GB News
George Bunn

By George Bunn


Published: 15/01/2025

- 16:41

Updated: 15/01/2025

- 21:49

Celebrations have broken out in Gaza and Tel Aviv after the news was announced

Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire deal designed to end the war in Gaza.

A Hamas official has said the group's leader Khalil Al Hayya has delivered approval of the ceasefire agreement to mediators in Qatar.


The reports in Israeli media said Hamas had issued fresh demands about the Philadelphi Corridor, a strategically important strip of land along Gaza's southern border with Egypt.

An official briefed on the negotiations has told reporters the deal includes a six-week initial ceasefire phase, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, the release of hostages held by Hamas and the release of Palestinian detainees held by Israel.

\u200bCelebrations broke out in both Gaza and Tel AvivCelebrations broke out in both Gaza and Tel AvivGetty/Reuters
Gaza destruction

Gaza has seen heavy bombing from Israeli forces

Getty

Gaza destruction

Much of Gaza's population has been displaced

Getty

Implementation of the ceasefire deal will be guaranteed by Qatar, Egypt and the US. A senior government official has said the Israeli government will vote on the deal tomorrow.

As part of the deal, negotiations over second phase of agreement are set to begin by 16th day of phase one and expected to include release of all remaining hostages, including Israeli male soldiers, permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from Gaza.

Hamas will release all remaining hostages over six-week period with three hostages released every week and remainder before end of the period.

The third phase is expected to include return of all remaining dead bodies and the start of Gaza reconstruction, supervised by Egypt, Qatar and the UN.

\u200bFamilies were seen hugging in Tel Aviv

Families were seen hugging in Tel Aviv

Reuters

\u200bPeople walk past stalls selling goods amid the rubble of buildings destroyed during previous Israeli strikes, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip

People walk past stalls selling goods amid the rubble of buildings destroyed during previous Israeli strikes, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip

GEtty

President-elect Donald Trump, who returns to the White House next week, said: "We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly."

The President-elect added that he will work with Israel and US allies to make sure Gaza never "becomes a terrorist safe haven."

Celebrations have broken out in the southern city of Khan Younis in Gaza, with people cheering and clapping in the street, while others honked their car horns.

Israeli troops invaded Gaza after Hamas fighters broke through security barriers into Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, with 1,200 soldiers and civilians killed and more than 250 people abducted.

In response, Israeli forces killed more than 46,000 people, according to the enclave's health ministry, and left hundreds and thousands living in makeshift shelters.

\u200bA man runs past a billboard featuring portraits of Israelis hostages held in the Gaza Strip

A man runs past a billboard featuring portraits of Israelis hostages held in the Gaza Strip

Getty

Residents in Gaza celebrate after news

Residents in Gaza celebrate after news of the ceasefire deal reached the heavily bombarded enclave

Reuters

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "After months of devastating bloodshed and countless lives lost, this is the long-overdue news that the Israeli and Palestinian people have desperately been waiting for. They have borne the brunt of this conflict, triggered by the brutal terrorists of Hamas, who committed the deadliest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust on October 7, 2023.

“The hostages, who were brutally ripped from their homes on that day and held captive in unimaginable conditions ever since, can now finally return to their families.

"But we should also use this moment to pay tribute to those who won’t make it home – including the British people who were murdered by Hamas. We will continue to mourn and remember them.

“For the innocent Palestinians whose homes turned into a warzone overnight and the many who have lost their lives, this ceasefire must allow for a huge surge in humanitarian aid, which is so desperately needed to end the suffering in Gaza.

"And then our attention must turn to how we secure a permanently better future for the Israeli and Palestinian people – grounded in a two-state solution that will guarantee security and stability for Israel, alongside a sovereign and viable Palestine state.

“The UK and its allies will continue to be at the forefront of these crucial efforts to break the cycle of violence and secure long-term peace in the Middle East."

\u200bPeople react to the reports of a possible Gaza cease fire and hostage release deal

People react to the reports of a possible Gaza cease fire and hostage release deal

Getty

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: "The announcement of a ceasefire is, at last, a moment of hope after many months of darkness and despair for the region.

"As this ceasefire comes into effect, Palestinians will hope that the killing will now stop. Israeli hostages will finally be returned to their loved ones again after being held in captivity for15 months.

"The work of flooding Gaza with the aid which it has desperately needed for months must begin in earnest.

"Now, it is incumbent on the UK and the entire international community to do all it can to ensure that this ceasefire does not turn out to be a temporary truce. Otherwise we will not be able to get the remaining hostages home and finally alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza."

\u200bPeople celebrating in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on January 15, 2025

People celebrating in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip

Getty

Deputy leader of Reform UK and Boston and Skegness MP Richard Tice told GB News: "We welcome the deal if it guarantees freedom of the hostages and stops the killings."

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said on X: "Breathing a sigh of relief that after 15 months of bloodshed, there will finally be a ceasefire in Gaza. My thoughts are with all of those who lost loved ones in this horrific violence, and those who will continue to suffer as a result of the destruction of hospitals, schools and land needed for food.

The MP for Bristol Central continued: "Today, we mark an end to the fighting, and the return home of the Israeli hostages and of hundreds of detained Palestinians. Tomorrow, the work begins to rebuild infrastructure, communities and lives, and to pursue justice.

"The genocidal horror that we have witnessed in Gaza must never be allowed to happen again. Leaders across the world must now push for an end to the ongoing occupation of Palestinian territory, and for all those responsible for war crimes to be held to account."

Photographs of some of those taken hostage by HamasPhotographs of some of those taken hostage by HamasGETTY

A spokesman from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters said: "We, the families of 98 hostages, welcome with overwhelming joy and relief the agreement to bring our loved ones home.

"We wish to express our profound gratitude to President-elect Trump, President Biden, both administrations, and the international mediators for making this possible.

"Since November 2023, we have been anxiously awaiting this moment, and now, after over 460 days of our family members being held in Hamas tunnels, we are closer than ever to reuniting with our loved ones.

"This is a significant step forward that brings us closer to seeing all hostages return, the living to rehabilitation, and the deceased for proper burial.

"However, deep anxiety and concerns accompany us regarding the possibility that the agreement might not be fully implemented, leaving hostages behind. We urgently call for swift arrangements to ensure all phases of the deal are carried out. We will not rest until we see the last hostage back home."