President-elect Donald Trump says a ceasefire deal has been reached in Gaza.
“We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East,” he said on the social media platform Truth Social.
“They will be released shortly. Thank you!”
No official statement has yet confirmed that such deal has been reached.
Implementation is likely to start on Sunday. Hamas is expected to release 33 hostagesduring the first phase of an emerging deal. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are set to be released from Israeli jails at the same time.
The release of the hostages would be the first phase of the deal being finalized. Negotiations to reach the second phase – which is intended to end the war – would begin on the 16th day of the implementation of the deal.
Hamas’ government media office in Gaza is telling residents of the enclave to not move until the official start of the ceasefire.
“The Government Media Office calls on the honorable citizens not to move before the official start of the ceasefire, and to obtain information about the timing of the ceasefire from official sources,” it said in a press release.
Gaza civil defense has called on residents of the enclave to refrain from firing celebratory gunfire ahead of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel to avoid injuring people.
“We call upon you to refrain from firing bullets in the air for fear of injuring the displaced people in the tents and shelters,” it said. “We do not want to be saddened by more martyrs and wounded.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says a ceasefire deal with Hamas has still not been reached.
In a statement, Netanyahu’s office said that final details were still unresolved, but that it hoped “details will be finalized tonight.”
That comes after multiple mediators had said Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza and the release dozens of hostages after more than 15 months of war.
Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 back to Gaza as hostages. The attack triggered a massive Israeli offensive on Gaza, during which more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry Israel says 94 hostages are still being held by Hamas, of whom 34 are presumed dead.
By Agencies
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