By Miriam Raftery
Photo, left: Gaza bombing by Israel, WAFA for news agency APA, creative commons via WIkiPalestine
January 15, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – President Joe Biden today announced, “After many months of intensive diplomacy by the United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage deal.”
The deal is slated to halt fighting in Gaza, surge humanitarian aide to Palestinian civilians, and return hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7, 2023 attack in Israel, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Biden indicated the cease-fire is based on a plan he laid out May 31,which the United Nations Security Council endorsed. The action comes after a cease-fire in Lebanon with Hezbollah and weakening of Iran, both allies of Hamas.
The Hamas attack killed over 1,200 Israelis. Israel’s military retaliation in Gaza has killed tens of thousands, displacing up to 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, according to the Associated Press. Many of those are injured, have lost homes, or at risk of famine.
Photo, right: Hamas attack at Jewish kibbutz in Israel, via Israeli press office
“It is long past time for the fighting to end and the work of building peace and security to begin,” said Biden, who voiced empathy for Israeli families who lost loved ones in the Hamas attack as well as for the “many innocent people killed in the war that followed.”
An estimated 100 hostages remain in Gaza, though the Israeli military believes at least a third are dead, according to the Associated Press. Seven American families have members taken hostage by Hamas, of whom three are believed to still be alive.
The cease-fire calls for a phased plan starting with release of 33 women, children, wounded civilians and older adults in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian women and children prisoners. Soldiers and other male captives will be released in the second-phase.
The deal comes after U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump stated on social media last month that there would be “hell to pay” if hostages were not released by his inauguration on January 20. “It will not be good for Hamas and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone,” he later told reporters.
News of the cease fire prompted mixed reactions.
The Jewish Democratic Council of America stated that its members are “relieved and hopeful that the hostages will soon be reunited with their loved ones” and thanked President Biden and his team. The group urged the incoming Trump administration to “follow through on the measurable progress made by President Biden to end the war in Gaza and ensure that all parties honor their commitments.”
Crowds gathered in Gaza to celebrate news of the cease fire deal, CBS reports. "I am very happy, and today is the day I wished to hear about since the beginning of the war. God is sending us hope,” an elderly man told CBS.
Hamas leader al-Hayya, however, hinted at revenge, Al-Jazeera reports. “We say, in the name of the orphans and the children and the widows, in the name of people with destroyed homes, in the name of the families of the martyrs and the wounded, in the name of all the victims, in the name of every drop of blood that was spilled, and in the name of every tear of pain and agony: We won’t forget, and we won’t forgive,” al-Hayya said.
The World Jewish Conference took a longer term view, “This is not just Israel’s battle; it is a fight for the values of humanity itself,” the group stated, San Diego Jewish World reports. “The international community must keep up the pressure on Hamas and refuse to again allow terror to reign over the Gaza Strip. Only when terrorism is eradicated and the rule of law and decency restored can Israelis and Palestinians begin to live side by side in lasting peace and security. “Today, we are grateful to those who brought about this agreement, and we insist that it by fully implemented. But we also redouble our commitment to a secure future for Israel and the region. The road ahead is steep, but we are steadfast in our belief that even in darkness, light can prevail.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the ceasefire announcement, adding, “The priority now must be to ease the tremendous suffering caused by this conflict. The United Nations stands ready to support the implementation of this deal and scale up the delivery of sustained humanitarian relief to the countless Palestinians who continue to suffer,” he said at a news conference.