Biden and Trump Say Gaza Ceasefire Agreement is Close to Realization; Details of the Agreement

Hours after Qatar announced that the final text of the Gaza ceasefire agreement had been provided to the parties, the President of the United States announced the imminent achievement of this agreement. Joe Biden stated on the evening of Monday, January 24, that we are 'on the verge' of reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of hostages, and 'we are putting intense pressure to finalize the agreement.' The potential agreement between Israel and the extremist group Hamas has been drafted with the mediation of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, with representatives from both current and incoming U.S. administrations present at the Doha negotiations. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union. Meanwhile, the White House announced a phone conversation between Joe Biden and Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, regarding this agreement. According to the White House statement, the leaders of the two countries emphasized the urgent need for the immediate implementation of the agreement for the release of hostages and immediate humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza under the ceasefire. Qatar has presented the final text of the ceasefire agreement to Israel and Hamas. Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Advisor, also stated that Mr. Biden is expected to speak with Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the President of Egypt. Ceasefire and hostage release negotiations have been ongoing in Doha, the capital of Qatar, in recent weeks, but especially since Saturday, hopes for the success of these negotiations have increased. Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, also stated early Tuesday in an interview with Max News that 'we are very close to finalizing the agreement. They (apparently referring to the extremist group Hamas) need to complete this. If this does not happen, there will be a lot of trouble; of a kind that they have not seen before.' Mr. Trump, whose special representative Steve Witkoff is also participating alongside Joe Biden's team in the Doha negotiations, added: 'I have been told that the negotiating parties have shaken hands and are very close to the finish line. Perhaps it will be finalized by the end of the week. This needs to happen.' The Times of Israel reported that the meeting of Donald Trump's special representative on Saturday in Jerusalem with Benjamin Netanyahu was 'tense' and that Mr. Witkoff put significant pressure on the Israeli Prime Minister to agree to the ceasefire agreement and the hostage release deal. Meanwhile, protests by the families of hostages in Israel continue. Many families of the 98 hostages are concerned that their children, who will not be released in the first phase of the new agreement after 422 days, will remain in Gaza for a long time. On Saturday, Steve Witkoff, the special representative of Donald Trump, met with the Israeli Prime Minister in Jerusalem, after which Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced his agreement to send a high-level delegation to Doha. The Emir of Qatar also met with a delegation of senior officials from the extremist group Hamas on Monday; Axios reported on the joint meeting of the Emir of Qatar with Brett McGurk and Steve Witkoff, representatives of Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Axios also quoted an Israeli official as saying: 'It seems that the agreement is within reach' and Israel is awaiting Hamas's response. According to this report and two Israeli officials, Hamas is expected to provide its response to the proposed text within the next 24 hours. Details of the proposed new agreement have not been officially announced, but various media have referred to key sections based on their sources. Among the reports, the agreement still includes three phases, with the first phase establishing a ceasefire for six weeks in Gaza, during which 33 hostages and a number of Palestinian prisoners will be gradually released. Israeli media reported that it is unclear how many of the 33 hostages that Hamas is committed to releasing under the draft agreement are alive and how many are the bodies of deceased Israeli hostages. According to Haaretz, it is likely that more than half of the 33 will be living hostages to be handed over. A Hamas member told the BBC that 'in the first week of the agreement, his group will only release 3 Israeli hostages, and if the first week proceeds according to the agreement, in the second week 4 hostages will be released.' Israeli officials have stated that the release of remaining women and girls in Hamas's custody is a priority. The name Romi Gonen, a girl from a family with an Iranian grandmother, reportedly appears on the list for release. At the same time, Israeli officials rejected Hamas's request to hand over the body of Yahya Sinwar, which they hold, stating that his body will not be returned at this stage of the agreement. Israel has committed to releasing more than 1,500 Palestinian security prisoners in the first phase and up to 2,000 more in the subsequent phase. Axios and some Israeli media have reported that during the first phase of the agreement, Israeli forces will gradually withdraw to a buffer zone near the border and will also exit the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza and the Philadelphi corridor near the border with Egypt. The current crisis began when the extremist group Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking nearly 250 hostage. In response, Israel launched a military operation across the Gaza Strip, which, according to officials under Hamas, has so far resulted in over 46,000 deaths. The Israeli army reported on Monday evening the deaths of 5 more of its soldiers in the 'Beit Hanoun' area in northern Gaza, stating that they were killed in an explosion of munitions they had in their possession. In less than a week, 11 Israeli soldiers have been killed in this part of Gaza. Meanwhile, the 'Heind Rajab' foundation, recently established to pursue Israeli soldiers worldwide, on Monday requested the International Criminal Court to arrest senior Israeli officer Ghassan Alyan, who has traveled to Italy. Brigadier General Alyan, who is from the Druze forces in the Israeli army, coordinates Israeli affairs in the Palestinian territories. The 'Heind Rajab' foundation last week pursued an Israeli soldier who was on a private trip to Brazil. His pursuit led to the immediate departure of this soldier to Argentina to avoid being handed over to Brazilian courts. The Israeli army has asked its soldiers on private trips abroad to turn off their mobile phone locators to avoid tracking. For the first time last week, the Israeli army implemented a policy of covering the faces of soldiers and lower-ranking officers to avoid tracking, but officers from the rank of colonel and above will appear in the media with their names, faces, and ranks due to military responsibilities. Houthi attacks on Israel continue, with the Houthis in Yemen firing another ballistic missile toward Israel early Tuesday. Israeli air defense systems intercepted the missile, but parts of the Yemeni missile hit homes in the 'Tzur Hadassah' settlement and the 'Mav Beitar' settlement in the outskirts of Jerusalem, causing damage to several houses. No injuries were reported in these attacks. The Houthis sent two ballistic missiles and a drone toward Israel within 24 hours. Last Friday, Israel had targeted Houthi positions in Yemen with 20 fighter jets in its fifth airstrike.