Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced that Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas have agreed to a three-stage deal to release the 98 remaining hostages held in Gaza at a press conference on Wednesday evening.
Thirty-three hostages are set to be released in the first phase of the deal.
Negotiations would resume in regard to the latter stages of the hostage deal, with the goal of releasing all the hostages, on the 16th day of the agreed ceasefire, a source told The Jerusalem Post.
Qatari Prime Minister in a statement: The hostage deal agreement will enter into force on Sunday.
At an announcement at the White House, U.S. President Joe Biden said:
“Today, 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. This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much needed-humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity.
The IDF has begun preparations to return the hostages as part of the agreement and has named the mission “Operation Wings of Freedom,” while Israeli hospitals are preparing for all possibilities, since the mental and physical health of those returning is unknown.