Important Takeaways:

• Agreement says 33 hostages are expected to be released over 42 days
• Israel and Hamas have agreed to a cease-fire deal that also ensures the release of hostages, Fox News has confirmed.
• “A Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal was reached following the Qatari Prime Minister’s meeting with Hamas negotiators, and separately Israeli negotiators in his office,” a source briefed on the matter told Fox News
• The conflict, which began with Hamas’ brutal attacks on October 7, 2023, has left over 1,200 Israelis dead, more than 250 taken hostage, and thousands of others killed on both sides.
• President-elect Donald Trump, who threatened last week if a deal wasn’t struck before his Inauguration Day that “all hell will break out” in the Middle East, quickly offered his praise.
• The deal, brokered by Qatari negotiators and facilitated by Egyptian intermediaries, also saw significant involvement from the United States. Both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration applied strategic pressure to finalize the agreement, despite concerns about Hamas re-arming and internal tensions within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.
• The agreement calls for the release of three hostages on the first day, followed by weekly batches. Women, children, and men over 50 will be prioritized initially, with younger men in humanitarian cases included later. Updates on hostages’ statuses will alternate between announcements of survivors and confirmation of those who did not survive captivity.
• Approximately 1,000 Palestinian prisoners will be freed in exchange, with murder convicts barred from returning to the West Bank. Instead, they will be sent to Gaza, Qatar, or Turkey.
• The cease-fire will also facilitate significant humanitarian aid to Gaza, with up to 600 trucks of supplies entering daily. By the 22nd day, displaced residents will be allowed to return to northern Gaza. Qatari and Egyptian teams will manage vehicle inspections, while pedestrian crossings will not require checks. The IDF will withdraw from the Nitzarim corridor but maintain a limited presence along the Philadelphi Route.

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