Hamas accepts draft agreement for Gaza ceasefire, hostages release Israel Yet to Approve / UPDATED

Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages, two officials involved in the talks.

As for the Israeli side, a Jewish official said the plan would need to be submitted to the Israeli Cabinet for final approval, Caliber.Az reports per AP.

Meanwhile, an Israeli media outlet writes with reference to local officials with knowledge of the situation that US President-elect Donald Trump is putting pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement on the Gaza Strip by inauguration day (January 20).

Trump's demand was conveyed to Netanyahu by the special representative of the future White House administration for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, during “intense talks” on January 11.

16:20

Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari has said that the latest rounds of negotiations on a three-phased ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas are “closest than at any time in the past”.

Al-Ansari also cautioned against setting expectations too high until there is a formal ceasefire announcement, Caliber.Az reports, citing Arab media.

“The humanitarian cost of the ongoing war is unbearable and it continues to be unbearable for the people of Gaza and the security and stability of this region,” Majed al-Ansari said.

“We again call on both parties to seriously engage in the negotiations, which is happening right now, and we do applaud the fact that the negotiations are taking place, but we also are urging both sides to end this now and sign the agreement as soon as possible so that the people of Gaza can have the respite that they need,” he added.

Earlier reports suggested that the ceasefire agreement enables Israel to retain its military presence in the Philadelphi corridor and maintain a buffer zone along the eastern and northern borders during the first 42 days. According to the deal, Israel will have to release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including approximately 190 who have been serving sentences of 15 years or more, in exchange for the release of 34 Israeli hostages.

Meanwhile, Israel continues to pound Gaza with the health ministry stating that the "IDF troops have committed four massacres against families in Gaza", resulting in the killing of 61 Palestinians in the past 24 hours.

At least 28 were killed since dawn on January 14, Of these, 19 were reported from the central and southern areas.

In a separate incident, an Israeli bombardment targeted a house in the Al-Daraj neighbourhood, east of Gaza City, killing four and injuring several others.

The total death toll of Palestinians from the Israeli military operations has risen to 46,645 with 110,012 injured in the besieged enclave since October 7, 2023. The health ministry said several victims remain under the rubble and on the streets, as ambulance and civil defence teams are unable to reach them.

The number of journalists killed has risen to 204 since the beginning of the genocide war on the Gaza Strip, following the announcement of the killing of Mohammed Bashir Al-Talmas, an editor for the Palestinian Press Agency (SAFA).

By Khagan Isayev