Trump announces Gaza hostage deal, ceasefire agreement reached

Shafaq News/ US President-elect Donald Trump announced on Wednesday evening that an agreement had been reached regarding hostages in Gaza.

In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump wrote: "We have reached an agreement on the hostages in the Middle East." He added, "They will be released soon. Thank you!"

This comes as a US official confirmed to Axios on Wednesday evening that a ceasefire agreement had been reached in Gaza.

An American source also told Sky News Arabia that Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, had informed several Arab countries that work on a deal to end the Gaza war had been completed.

The source added, "Trump's envoy told Israel to stop the war immediately."

US media reported that the Israeli government and Hamas had reached an agreement that would halt the fighting in Gaza and lead to the gradual release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

A senior Hamas official confirmed to CNN that the group had agreed to the ceasefire deal in exchange for the release of hostages and had submitted its response to the mediators.

In a separate statement, Hamas said it had consulted with allied armed factions regarding the proposed agreement.

It added, "The movement has acted responsibly and positively, out of its responsibility toward our patient and steadfast people in the Gaza Strip, to stop the Zionist aggression and put an end to the massacres and genocide they are enduring."

Earlier on Wednesday, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN that the Israeli government expected the agreement to be announced later that evening or Thursday.

“Walla”news site reported that, shortly before the Gaza agreement was announced, an Israeli official was informed by the negotiating team in Tel Aviv that Hamas had decided to present new demands at the last minute.

The official explained that these last-minute demands related to the Philadelphia Corridor, contrary to previous arrangements.

The new demands from Hamas include changes to the maps that had been approved by the Israeli Cabinet and US mediators, with Hamas fully opposing the current maps, according to the site.

The Israeli official emphasized Tel Aviv’s firm rejection of these new demands and reiterated Israel’s refusal to make any changes to the maps previously agreed upon.

The official further clarified that Hamas had objected to arrangements related to the Philadelphia Corridor, which runs along the border between Gaza and Egypt.