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Middle East latest: Netanyahu says deal to return hostages from Gaza reached after last snags

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached.
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An Israeli army APC moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached. The announcement came a day after Netanyahu鈥檚 office said there were last minute snags in talks to free hostages in return for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Netanyahu said he will convene his security Cabinet later on Friday and then the government to approve the ceasefire agreement.

On Thursday, Netanyahu's office said the Cabinet won鈥檛 meet to approve the agreement for a and the release of until Hamas backs down, accusing the group of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt to gain further concessions.

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 72 people since the ceasefire deal was announced, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinians in Gaza reported heavy Israeli bombardment overnight as people were celebrating the ceasefire deal. In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires go into effect as a way to project strength.

expected to begin Sunday, 33 hostages are set to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remainder, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.

Israel鈥檚 offensive has killed over 46,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry. It does not say how many of the dead were militants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.

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Here's the latest:

Netanyahu says Israeli officials have reached a deal to return hostages after last minute snags

JERUSALEM 鈥 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached.

The announcement came a day after Netanyahu鈥檚 office said there were last minute snags in talks to free hostages in return for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Netanyahu said he will convene his security Cabinet on Friday and then the government to approve the ceasefire agreement.

Trump says ceasefire better be finalized before his inauguration

WASHINGTON 鈥 President-elect Donald Trump said the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas better be finalized before his inauguration on Monday and said his involvement was crucial for the negotiation.

鈥淲e changed the course of it, and we changed it fast, and frankly, it better be done before I take the oath of office,鈥 he said in a podcast interview with .

Trump also said 鈥渨e shook hands, and we signed certain documents, but it better be done.鈥

He claimed Biden hadn鈥檛 done anything.

鈥淚鈥檓 not looking for credit. I want to get these people out,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got to get them out.鈥

The truce is expected to begin Sunday, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a 鈥渓ast-minute crisis鈥 with Hamas is holding up his government鈥檚 approval.

What awaits Palestinians on the other side of a ceasefire?

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are eager to leave and return to their homes if a long-awaited ceasefire agreement halts the war, but many will find there's .

And it鈥檚 unclear when 鈥 or even if 鈥 much will be rebuilt.

Two-thirds of structures in Gaza have been destroyed

The full extent of the damage will only be known when the fighting ends and inspectors have full access to the territory.

Using , the United Nations estimated last month that 69% of the structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, including over 245,000 homes.

Mountains of rubble will need to be moved

Before anything can be rebuilt, the rubble must be removed 鈥 a staggering task in itself.

The U.N. estimates that the war has littered Gaza with over 50 million tons of rubble. That's roughly 12 times the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza. With over 100 trucks working full time, it would take over 15 years to clear the rubble away.

The debris also contains huge amounts of unexploded ordnance as well as human remains. Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry says thousands of people killed in Israeli airstrikes are still .

No plan for the day after

All this will require billions of dollars and the ability to bring construction materials and heavy equipment into the territory 鈥 neither of which are assured.

The ceasefire and hostage deal doesn鈥檛 say whether Israel and Egypt will lift a blockade on Gaza they imposed when Hamas seized power in 2007.

International donors are unlikely to invest in an ungoverned territory that has seen five wars in less than two decades, which means the sprawling tent camps along the coast could become a permanent feature of life in Gaza.

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Read more about Gaza鈥檚 .

A far-right ally of Netanyahu says he鈥檒l quit if Israel approves Gaza ceasefire

JERUSALEM 鈥 Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threated on Thursday night to leave the government if Israel approves a ceasefire, but said his party would rejoin the government if fighting in Gaza continued.

Even if 鈥檚 party leaves the government, it does not rob Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a parliamentary majority and force early elections.

It also would not stop a ceasefire deal if the plan comes to a Cabinet vote for approval, which could happen as early as Friday.

Ben-Gvir said the ceasefire was 鈥渞eckless鈥 and would 鈥渄estroy all of Israel鈥檚 achievements.鈥

A settler leader, Ben Gvir has become one of Israel鈥檚 most influential politicians, reflecting a rightward shift in the Israeli electorate that brought his religious, ultranationalist ideology into the mainstream and diminished hopes for Palestinian independence.

Palestinian leaders in the West Bank get ready for a potential return to Gaza

RAMALLAH, West Bank 鈥 Palestinian leaders who administer the occupied West Bank are getting ready in case they鈥檙e tasked with running critical services and setting up an interim government in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa met with top officials to discuss plans for reintegrating government institutions in Gaza, including the territory鈥檚 health care, education, water and power sectors, as well as coordinating a surge of humanitarian aid.

There鈥檚 still no plan for who will govern Gaza after the war.

Israel has said it will work with local Palestinians not affiliated with Hamas or the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. But it鈥檚 unclear if such partners exist, and Hamas has threatened anyone who cooperates with Israeli forces.

EU says it鈥檚 ready to resume monitoring a key Gaza border crossing

BRUSSELS -- The European Union mission that once monitored the Gaza-Egypt border crossing at Rafah will send a delegation to Cairo early next week to help implement the ceasefire deal, according to the Egyptian government.

A spokesperson for the EU Commission, Anouar El Anouni, confirmed Thursday that the EU was 鈥渦pdating our plans to possibly redeploy鈥 to Rafah.

He emphasized the deployment 鈥渞emains dependent on full consent鈥 from both Israeli and Palestinian authorities.

Since Israeli forces captured the city of Rafah last May, the border has been closed to all civilians. Israeli, Egyptian and Palestinian officials have been unable to agree on the terms to reopen it.

The preliminary ceasefire deal calls for hundreds of aid trucks to enter the besieged territory each day.

On Thursday, the EU said it had approved 120 million euros, or some $123 million, worth of humanitarian aid to address food security, shelter and healthcare for Gaza.

Secretary of State Blinken expects the Gaza ceasefire deal will start as planned this weekend

WASHINGTON 鈥 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he 鈥渇ully鈥 expects the ceasefire deal in Gaza will be implemented as expected on Sunday, despite Israel pointing to a last-minute dispute with Hamas.

Blinken faced two significant interruptions at his final briefing to reporters in office, both from people accusing him of complicity in Israeli violence against Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Diplomatic security physically removed one person who shouted, 鈥淲hy aren鈥檛 you in the Hague?鈥 a reference to the world鈥檚 top war-crimes court.

Blinken and other members of the Biden administration have faced criticism for the civilian casualties and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as well as for not imposing meaningful restrictions on sending arms to Israel.

Blinken called the ceasefire and hostage deal 鈥渁 moment of historic possibility for the region.鈥

However, he said it would still 鈥渢ake tremendous effort, political courage, compromise ... to deliver on the promise of a more integrated Middle East.鈥

Israel says it launched 50 airstrikes in Gaza over the past day

JERUSALEM 鈥 The Israeli military said Thursday it launched 50 airstrikes in Gaza over the past day.

The military said it targeted places associated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, including weapons storage facilities, sites to launch rockets, weapons manufacturing sites, and other military infrastructure, without providing evidence.

People in Gaza are shocked Israel still hasn鈥檛 agreed to the ceasefire

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip 鈥 Displaced Palestinians in central Gaza woke up Thursday shocked and disappointed to learn that Israel still hadn鈥檛 approved the ceasefire deal with Hamas.

鈥淲e went to sleep happy. It鈥檚 a shame that they would deprive us of this happiness," said Karam Moeiliq. 鈥淓veryone has losses. It鈥檚 enough.鈥

Hours after getting their hopes up about returning home, families sheltering in Deir al-Balah are grappling with uncertainty about their future.

鈥淲e ask our brothers in Hamas to communicate with mediators to end the war. Enough with the destruction and killing,鈥 said Omar Jendiya from Gaza City.

At least 72 Palestinians were killed across the war-torn territory since the deal was announced on Wednesday. The truce is expected to begin Sunday.

鈥淲e want peace. We want to live like everyone in the world is living," said Fayqa Hussein, a displaced woman from Jabaliya refugee camp. 鈥淲e want to live in safety. We want to teach our children what they missed at school.鈥

Qatari prime minister makes first visit to Syria since Bashar Assad鈥檚 ouster

DAMASCUS鈥擰atar鈥檚 prime minister and foreign minister made a landmark visit to Syria on Thursday, the first since Bashar Assad鈥檚 ouster, pledging to support the country鈥檚 recovery and calling on the international community to 鈥渟wiftly鈥 remove sanctions.

The prime minister鈥檚 trip to Syria comes a day after he announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

鈥淲e are on the verge of a new phase in Syria鈥檚 history, and Qatar extends its hand to the Syrian people for partnership,鈥 Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said during a press conference.

The Qataris met with Ahmad al-Sharaa, who heads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist group leading the new authority in Syria.

Al Thani said Israeli forces must withdraw from a U.N.-monitored in Syria they captured last month.

For his part, Sharaa said his country is ready to welcome international forces to the buffer zone, adding that Qatar will have 鈥渁 central role鈥 in creating global pressure on Israel to withdraw.

Qatar is a close ally of Turkey, which has long backed the rebels who now control Damascus, and the two countries are looking to protect their interests in Syria after Assad鈥檚 fall.

Israeli strikes kill at least 72 Palestinians since ceasefire deal was announced, Gaza officials say

Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry says Israeli strikes have killed at least 72 people since a ceasefire deal was announced on Wednesday.

In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires take effect as a way to project strength.

The ministry says the toll from Thursday鈥檚 strikes only includes bodies brought to two hospitals in Gaza City, and that the actual toll is likely higher.

鈥淵esterday was a bloody day, and today is bloodier,鈥 said Zaher al-Wahedi, head of the ministry鈥檚 registration department.

Israeli group holds demonstration against ceasefire deal

JERUSALEM 鈥 A group representing some families of soldiers killed fighting in Gaza held a demonstration Thursday against a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

The Gvura Forum opposes the deal, saying it won鈥檛 lead to Hamas鈥 destruction and that it will free Palestinians convicted of deadly crimes against Israelis. The agreement could also leave some Israeli hostages behind in Gaza if it collapses, the group said.

The group set up rows of mock coffins draped in the Israeli flag in Jerusalem to symbolize the price Israel will pay if it agrees to the deal.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very dangerous deal,鈥 said Yehoshua Shani, whose son Ori Mordehai Shani was killed in battle in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. He believed the incoming Trump administration could exert more pressure on Hamas and secure better terms.

Many Israelis support a ceasefire deal that would bring the hostages home and end the war in Gaza. But some families of fallen soldiers and of hostages oppose any agreement that they perceive grants too many concessions to Hamas.

Russia voices hope that ceasefire can secure lasting stability in Gaza

MOSCOW 鈥 Russia鈥檚 Foreign Ministry voiced hopes Thursday that the long-awaited agreement to pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip will help secure lasting stability in Gaza.

Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova praised 鈥渢he patient and persistent work of Qatari and Egyptian mediators鈥 who helped broker the agreement and noted that 鈥渁t the final stage, representatives of the new American administration also joined the negotiating marathon.鈥

"We expect that the implementation of the agreement reached now will contribute to the sustainable stabilization of the situation in Gaza and create conditions for the return of all internally displaced persons ... and allow Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners released as a result of the deal to join their families,鈥 Zakharova said at a briefing.

She specifically mentioned Russian citizen Alexander Trufanov, who was held in the Gaza Strip along other hostages.

鈥淲e believe that the conclusion of this agreement will contribute to the formation of the necessary conditions for establishing a process of a comprehensive political settlement of the Palestinian problem on a generally accepted international legal basis,鈥 Zakharova added.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also welcomed the deal.

鈥淎ny settlement that would result in a ceasefire and end the suffering of the people of Gaza while helping ensure security of Israel can only be welcomed,鈥 Peskov said in a conference call with reporters.

Families mourn 4 killed in Israeli strike in southern Gaza

Mourners held a Muslim funeral service on Thursday for a Palestinian journalist who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza the previous day.

The strike hit a food charity known as Tikia in the Muwasi area in the city of Khan Younis Wednesday evening as people were waiting for the announcement of the ceasefire deal, according to the Naser hospital and the journalists鈥 relatives.

The journalist, Ahmed al-Shaiyah, was killed in the strike along with three other people, according to the hospital, which received the bodies.

鈥淚nstead of receiving news of the truce, we received news of his martyrdom,鈥 the journalist鈥檚 brother, Ismail al-Shaiyah, told the AP.

鈥淲e were waiting to rest and get rid of this nightmare, but my son was martyred in the last hour. He was gone from me,鈥 said Nagat Moammar, the mother of one of those killed.

China welcomes Gaza ceasefire, hopes it is 鈥榗omprehensive and permanent鈥

TAIWAN 鈥 Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Thursday that Beijing welcomes the ceasefire deal and hopes it can be 鈥渆ffectively implemented so a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in Gaza can be achieved.鈥

China will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza and make 鈥減ositive efforts鈥 for post-war reconstruction, he added.

鈥淲e also sincerely hope that the relevant parties will take the Gaza ceasefire as an opportunity to promote the easing of local tensions. China is willing to work with the international community to make unremitting efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East,鈥 Guo said.

Iran-backed militia will suspend operations against Israel, its leader says

BAGHDAD 鈥 The leader of the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Harakat al-Nujaba announced Thursday the suspension of the group鈥檚 operations against Israel following the declaration of a Gaza ceasefire agreement but warned they could start again if there were violations of the truce.

In a statement, Akram al-Kaabi congratulated the Palestinian people and 鈥渇reedom-loving鈥 individuals worldwide on 鈥渢his important development.鈥

鈥淲e will suspend our military operations against (Israel) in solidarity with the halt of operations in Palestine and to support the continuation of the ceasefire in Gaza, but let the occupying entity know that any foolishness from them in Palestine or the region will be met with a harsh response,鈥 he added.

Al-Kaabi said the group's missiles and drones 鈥渞emain on permanent standby.鈥

During the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Iraqi militias launched a series of drone attacks targeting U.S. bases in Syria and Iraq as well as sites in Israel.

Syria's foreign minister calls for lifting of sanctions

ANKARA, Turkey 鈥 Syria鈥檚 new foreign minister has called for a lifting of sanctions that were imposed on his country during former President Bashar Assad鈥檚 rule.

In an interview with Turkish state broadcaster TRT that aired Thursday, Asaad al-Shibani also said Syria鈥檚 new leadership wanted to 鈥渙pen a new page鈥 in its diplomatic relations with countries that had cut diplomatic ties with Damascus during the Syrian civil war.

鈥淭he economic sanctions are one of the problems that the old regime left us,鈥 al-Shibani said in the interview, which aired a day after he met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other Turkish officials in Ankara. 鈥淲e are saying that there is no longer any need for them. The old regime is gone.鈥

鈥淭hese sanctions must be lifted in order for people to live in better economic conditions and for security and economic stability to be achieved,鈥 he added.

Indonesia calls for the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state as it welcomes the ceasefire

JAKARTA 鈥 Indonesia鈥檚 Foreign Affairs Ministry has welcomed the ceasefire and called for its immediate implementation, along with the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state.

鈥淧eace in Palestine cannot be achieved without the end of Israel鈥檚 occupation and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, in accordance with the two-state solution based on agreed international parameters,鈥 it said in a statement on Thursday.

Muslim-majority Indonesia has long been a strong supporter of Palestinians.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard says ceasefire is a 鈥榞reat victory鈥 for Hamas

TEHRAN, Iran 鈥 Iran鈥檚 Revolutionary Guard has applauded the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and called it a 鈥済reat victory鈥 for Hamas and the resistance front.

鈥淭his great victory, like the 鈥榓l-Aqsa storm,鈥 which was a multifaceted and irreparable defeat for the Zionists, did not bring any gains for the Zionist regime, and the resistance remained alive, thriving and strong,鈥 the Guard said in a statement on Thursday, referring to the Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack that sparked the war.

Iran鈥檚 Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei later said in a post on social platform X that the patience of the resistance front forced Israel to retreat.

鈥淚t will be written in books that there was a mob who once killed thousands of children & women in Gaza! Everyone will realize it was the patience of the people & steadfastness of Palestinian Resistance & Resistance Front that forced Zionist regime to retreat,鈥 he wrote in a post on the social platform X on Thursday.

Pakistan hails ceasefire but criticizes Israel for 鈥榰nprecedented loss of lives鈥

ISLAMABAD 鈥 Pakistan鈥檚 Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that Islamabad welcomes the ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas and calls for its immediate and full implementation.

鈥淚ndiscriminate use of force by Israeli occupation forces has caused unprecedented loss of lives and property and displacement of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilian Palestinians. Israel鈥檚 expansionist designs have destabilized the entire region,鈥 the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

It added that Pakistan hopes the truce will lead to a permanent ceasefire and help scale up humanitarian assistance.

Japan and South Korea welcome Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza

TOKYO 鈥 Japan and South Korea have separately welcomed the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza as a key step toward improving humanitarian conditions and calming the situation in the territory.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, speaking to reporters in Tokyo on Thursday, urged Israel and Hamas to implement the agreement 鈥渟incerely and steadily鈥 and he praised the United States, Egypt and Qatar for their work to achieve the deal.

South Korea鈥檚 Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, called for a 鈥渢horough and swift implementation鈥 of the agreement so that 鈥渁ll hostages are released and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip improves.鈥

The Associated Press