What we know
- Israel's Cabinet will meet tomorrow to vote on the ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas after it claimed a delay was due to Hamas’ creating a “last-minute crisis.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not elaborate on what the issue was.
- Hamas said it was “committed” to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators.
- secretary of state Antony Blinken said at a news briefing today that he remains confident the deal will be implemented as planned.
- The highly anticipated deal, which would start sunday with a six-week truce, could end 15 months of fighting in the Gaza strip.
- The first phase of the hard-won agreement would free 33 hostages held in Gaza, starting with two Americans. It would also free Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
- At least 80 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the announcement, Gaza’s Civil Defense said.
Airstrikes kill dozens of Gazans after ceasefire deal is announced
NBC News recorded Palestinians grieving over the bodies of loved ones killed by Israeli airstrikes in the hours after the ceasefire deal was announced. Dozens of civilians, including many children, were reportedly killed in the attacks.
3 anti-deal protesters arrested in Jerusalem, Israeli police say
Three people were arrested in Jerusalem and taken for questioning during a protest against the ceasefire deal, Israeli police said.
Police said several protests and marches took place across Jerusalem today and that one that began hours ago blocked off the Begin Highway. Crowds blocked roadways to emergency and civilian vehicles, and, at one point, a fire was set in the middle of a roadway, police said.
"The state of Israel is a democratic state of law, and freedom of protest must exist alongside preserving the freedom of movement of the many, obedience to the law, and maintaining public peace and security," police said in a statement.
Three people were arrested in connection with disturbing the peace and damaging vehicles during the protest. One person was arrested in connection with pepper-spraying protesters, police said.
Demonstration by hostages' families appeals directly to Trump
Relatives of Israeli hostages and their supporters blocked a road in Tel Aviv, calling for a quicker release plan for those held by Hamas. They also appealed directly to President-elect Donald Trump to intervene.
Analysis: There are no celebrations in Israel. Most just want to move on.
Reporting from Jerusalem
In Israel, there is a feeling of melancholy. There is some relief that this tremendously dark period could be coming to an end, and people want to put the war behind them. But this has been a traumatic experience. This is a hostage deal after all, and there’s not much to celebrate in that.
Yes, some hostages will be returning home, but no one knows what condition they will be in. And many bodies will be coming back, as well, including those of children and elderly people.
There are also deep divisions in Israeli society, and this war has brought them to the surface. The far right wants Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue the war, and it supports the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. Those on the far right advocate for Israeli settlers to return to Gaza, and they believe Netanyahu is caving in to pressure and not going far enough.
There are those on the left who were out on the streets protesting against Netanyahu even before the Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.
They believe that he has used the war to score political points and that he could have signed this deal in May, and they accuse him of prolonging the conflict until the U.s. inauguration to curry favor with President-elect Donald Trump.
As a result, there are no parades or victory celebrations — most people just want to move on.
Ben-Gvir says he will pull his party from coalition government if deal goes through
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's far-right national security minister, announced today that he will pull his party from Netanyahu's government over the ceasefire deal that would lead to the release of remaining hostages in Gaza.
He expressed his discontent over the pending deal Tuesday on X, calling on Finance Minister Bezalel smotrich to join him in threatening to quit to stop the deal. Now, as it appears the agreement is in its final stages, Ben-Gvir has escalated to threatening his party's cooperation with Netanyahu.
Otzma Yehudit is a right-wing party led Ben-Gvir who joined with Netanyahu to form a government. It appears that Yair Lapid, head of the Yesh Atid opposition party, has put his support behind Netanyahu to offset Ben-Gvir's threat.
"I say to Benjamin Netanyahu, don’t be afraid or intimidated, you will get every safety net you need to make the hostage deal," Lapid wrote on X today. "This is more important than any disagreement we’ve ever had."
Ben-Gvir has faced repeated criticism over his comments about the war, including his call for Israelis to repopulate Gaza after Israel withdrew roughly 20 years ago.
Israeli group holds demonstration against ceasefire deal
A group representing the families of some soldiers killed fighting in Gaza held a demonstration today against the ceasefire deal.
The Gvura Forum opposes the deal, saying that it won’t lead to Hamas’ destruction and that it will free Palestinians convicted of deadly crimes against Israelis. It 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.
“It’s a very dangerous deal,” said Yehoshua shani, whose son Ori Mordehai shani was killed in battle in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. He said 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 hostages oppose any agreement that they perceive grants too many concessions to Hamas.
Map: Wide-scale damage across the Gaza strip
satellite imagery analysis from researchers Corey scher of CUNY Graduate Center and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon state University estimates that almost two-thirds of buildings in the Gaza strip have been damaged since fighting began in 2023.
The damage is even higher in the Gaza City and North Gaza regions, where almost 3 out of 4 buildings are damaged.
Blinken expects ceasefire to go into effect sunday
Reporting from New York City
Blinken said he was "confident" the Gaza ceasefire would go ahead sunday after Israel delayed its Cabinet vote to ratify it.
"On the ceasefire, yes, I am confident and fully expect the implementation will begin, as we said, on sunday," he told reporters today.
"It’s not exactly surprising that in a process, in a negotiation that has been this challenging, this fraught, you get a loose end," Blinken said. "We are tying up that loose end."
Protester heckles Blinken at final briefing
Reporting from Washington DC
A protester with a history of disrupting state Department briefings was hauled out after he interrupted Blinken, calling him a "criminal" and protesting U.s. support for Israel's "genocide" of Palestinians in Gaza.
"Get your hands off me, get your hands off me, get your hands off me," the protester shouted as security officials hauled him to his feet and began dragging him out of the briefing room. "Answer a damn question."
"I was sitting here quietly, and now I'm being manhandled by two or three people," he yelled.
still struggling, the man yelled, "You are hurting me, you are hurting me, you are hurting me."
The man insisted he was simply trying to ask questions about the Israeli nuclear program.
"Please respect the process," Blinken said.
"Genocide and extermination, and you are telling me to respect the process?" the protester shouted. "Criminal. Why aren’t you in The Hague? Why aren't you in The Hague? Why aren't you in The Hague?"
The protester appeared to be referring to the International Court of Justice, which is in the Netherlands.
White House 'fully' expects deal to begin sunday, Kirby says
The Biden administration believes that the disagreements between Israel and Hamas will be resolved as the the two parties continue to negotiate final details of the deal, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said.
"This is not an issue that is going to derail the whole implementation of the deal," he said. "And as secretary Blinken rightly said, we fully expect and we're confident that we're going to be able to get this deal in place by sunday.”
Though news broke yesterday that a deal had been reached, Israel cautioned that it was not finalized and accused Hamas of trying to extort last-minute demands. Hamas denied the allegations, blaming Israel's leaders.
Two American hostages are expected to be released in the first phase of the deal, in which women, children, the elderly and the wounded are set to be freed from Gaza. Kirby could not give an exact date as to when they were going to be let go.
War has left Gaza population completely dependent on aid, WFP says
The World Food Program said it will need upward of $300 million to sustain Gaza's most urgent needs in the next six months, as the war has destroyed the enclave's economy and infrastructure.
"WFP calls on all parties to do what is in their power to halt any further fighting and ensure safe humanitarian access — the war has left more than 2 million people fully dependent on food assistance, homeless, and without any income," the organization said.
Current stock allows the WFP to assist 1 million people, only half of Gaza's population, over the next three months. The organization said it will need all agencies to come together during the ceasefire to provide aid, including the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency, which Israel has banned.
"We need all border crossings open and functioning reliably," the WFP said. "We also need humanitarian teams to be able to move freely and safely across Gaza to reach those in need."
Gaza has become 'Israel's Vietnam,' former ambassador says
Marc Ginsberg, who was ambassador to Morocco during the Clinton administration, expressed skepticism that Israel was able to accomplish its goal during the last 15 months of war in Gaza.
"I believe in the end, and I hate to say this, but this is becoming Israel's Vietnam," Ginsberg said on MsNBC's "Ana Cabrera Reports."
The Vietnam War has long been criticized as a failure for the United states in both military strategy and public opinion.
Ginsberg pointed out that Hamas has been reconstituted under new leadership despite assassinations of high-ranking members and that it has not promised to lay down its arms.
"Israel insists that it will not ever permit Hamas to remain in Gaza, and I keep asking myself the same question over and over again: How are you going to make that happen?" Ginsberg said.
Here's what happens to hostages after they are released
Reporting from New York City
If all goes as planned and the hostages are released from Gaza, one of their first stops in Israel will be a hospital, according to the Israeli Health Ministry's protocols and guidelines.
"The Israeli health system awaits the return of those abducted from captivity," the guidelines say.
The steps to help the former Hamas prisoners get back on their feet got a test run in November 2023 when the first groups of hostages were released and an operation called “Heaven’s Door” was launched to aid them.
The "returnees" will receive an "immediate assessment and treatment in a hospital and, after release, continued treatment and long-term monitoring of all health, medical, mental and social aspects."
The former hostages will be examined in an area cordoned off from the rest of the hospital and will be assigned a private room. There, they will be able to visit with family and, among other things, relearn how to eat normally to avoid what's known as "refeeding syndrome."
That is a life-threatening condition that happens when a malnourished person starts eating regularly again.
Visitors will be kept to a minimum and "the families of the returnees and their guests must be instructed that taking photographs in the compound and uploading materials to social media may harm the returnee," the guidelines state.
In addition to the usual battery of tests, the ministry recommends "that all girls/women of childbearing age" be given a pregnancy test.
The returnees will be allowed to stay at the hospital for as long as necessary and there will be follow-up visits from social workers and others.
"The professional recommendation is to maintain the continuity of treatment and psychological support by the hospital person with whom the contact was established, and therefore this should be allowed to the patient and his family even after release," the guidelines state.
Israel's Cabinet to meet tomorrow, official says
Reporting from Tel Aviv, Israel
Israel's Cabinet is set to meet tomorrow, an Israeli official confirmed to NBC News. No exact time has been given.
The ceasefire deal has not yet been finalized, but Israeli authorities will require a vote of approval by the Cabinet before it can be implemented.
Ceasefire 'does not give Israel a blank cheque to commit as many war crimes as possible,' Action for Humanity says
Action for Humanity, one of the leading NGOs working in Gaza, has called on the Israeli government to "stop the killing of Palestinians" while the ceasefire and hostage deal is being worked out.
since the agreement was announced, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 80 people, according to the Gaza Civil Defense.
"We acknowledge that this ceasefire deal is not due to come into effect until sunday, but this does not give Israel a blank cheque to commit as many war crimes as possible between now and then," Action For Humanity CEO Othman Moqbel said in a statement.
He added that 46,000 Gazans have been "murdered by this senseless war," and that four more days "could kill at least 400 people, if not more."
Reserve soldiers and hostage families issue support for deal, Israeli president's office says
Families of the hostages in Gaza and Israel's reserve soldiers sent a "mutual guarantee" statement supporting a hostage deal, according to Israel's President Issac Herzog.
Herzog's office confirmed the statement was sent to his office and that the families of the abductees urged Israeli politicians to "do whatever is necessary to return all abductees." Herzog said in a statement that he expects and hopes that "stubborn" negotiations over final details will end as soon as possible.
"I say from the bottom of my heart, from my absolute belief, that everything must be done to bring everyone home, everyone," Herzog said. "Of course I support the proposed deal, it is the right thing to do, the most just and the most necessary."
E.U. announces new $123M humanitarian aid package for Gaza
The European Union said Wednesday it was channeling 120 million euros ($123 million) in a new aid package for Gaza, saying it would work closely with U.N. agencies and other partners to ensure its swift delivery.
“The ceasefire and hostage release agreement offers hope the region desperately needed. But the humanitarian situation remains grim in Gaza," President Ursula von der Leyen said.
In addition, the E.U. will provide an aid package that includes food, medical supplies and assistance to rebuild health care, water and sanitation infrastructure.
Analysis: For Palestinians this isn't over yet
Reporting from Jerusalem
Palestinians reacted quickly in unison with joy, relief and hope that the bombs will stop falling and they will be able to move back to their homes.
Many of them have been living in squalid tent camps, which are freezing at night and hot during the day.
There have been shortages of fresh water, and the United Nations and other aid agencies have warned repeatedly that the enclave is on the brink of famine.
It has been an unsustainable hellhole for months and months, and nearly the entire population has been displaced. No matter what, swaths of the region will have to be rebuilt.
Even after the deal was announced, Israeli airstrikes overnight killed 71 people, according to health officials in the enclave.
And with the Israeli government yet to approve the deal, this isn’t over yet.
Israeli negotiators still committed to a ceasefire deal, spokesperson says
Israel's negotiating team is still in Qatar attempting to finalize the ceasefire agreement, which Netanyahu's spokesperson David Mencer characterized as a show of the country's commitment to striking a deal.
Mencer reiterated Netanyahu’s allegations that Hamas has reneged on its agreement to the ceasefire outline "in an effort to extort last minute concessions." Hamas has denied the allegations, accusing Israel's prime minister of looking for excuses to back out of the deal.
"To be clear, the government of Israel wants to finalize an agreement," Mencer told reporters today. "We want to bring our people home and we hope that the details will indeed be finalized."
Jonathan Dekel spoke with NBC News’ Joe Fryer and savannah sellers about his son sagui Dekel-Chen, who is believed to be held hostage in Gaza by Hamas. Dekel said he implores the Biden and Trump administrations to continue applying pressure on all sides to complete the peace agreement.
Hamas says Israel targeted a building where female hostage was held
Israel launched an airstrike targeting a building where a female hostage was being held, Abu Obaida, a spokesperson for the militant group's armed wing, Al Qassam Brigades, said on Telegram today. He did not specify what happened to the hostage.
"Any aggression and bombing at this stage by the enemy could turn the freedom of a prisoner into a tragedy," Abu Obeida added.
In Kabul, Taliban celebrates ceasefire news
Holding Palestinian flags and banners, members of the Taliban in Kabul celebrate with a confetti cannon today after the declaration of an Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal.
Human Rights Watch calls for 'end to systematic repression'
In response to the ceasefire agreement, Human Rights Watch called for an "end to systematic repression" in Gaza and said Israel should allow humanitarian aid to resume in the Palestinian enclave.
Omar shakir, Israel and Palestine director at the rights group, said that during the 15-month war, civilians in Gaza had been "targeted, attacked and killed at a scale unprecedented in the recent history of Israel and Palestine." He also urged Israel to lift its blockade and ensure the restoration of basic services such as electricity and water.
"Otherwise, people will continue to die, ceasefire or not," he said in a statement.
He said Palestinian armed groups should release all civilians held hostage and that the "heinous crimes" committed during the war should be punished.
"Those responsible should be held to account, including at the International Criminal Court, and states need to address root causes, including Israel’s apartheid against the Palestinians," he said. "To avoid further mass atrocities, there must be an end to systematic repression and respect for the rights of all people in Israel and Palestine."
Child rescued from airstrike hours after ceasefire announced
A young boy was rescued alive from the rubble of a building that was destroyed in Gaza early today, hours after a ceasefire agreement was announced.
Video obtained by NBC News showed the boy using his own hands to try and free himself while volunteers dug him out of the ruins of the building in Gaza City's Al Rimal neighborhood. Two families had been sheltering there when the attack happened just before dawn.
His aunt, uncle and baby sister, who was born on Oct 7, 2023, were killed in the strike. It is unclear whether his parents survived.
U.K. welcomes 'long-overdue news'; France and Germany call for deal to be respected
The U.K. has welcomed the ceasefire agreement, adding a call for a two-state solution.
"This is the long-overdue news that the Israeli and Palestinian people have desperately been waiting for," Prime Minister Keir starmer said in a statement. "Our attention must turn to how we secure a permanently better future for the Israeli and Palestinian people."
French President Emmanuel Macron's comments echoed starmer's, saying on X, "The deal must be respected. The hostages, freed. The Gazans, rescued. A political solution must be found.”
Also on X, Germany's Chancellor Olaf scholz said, "This agreement must now be implemented to the letter."
Analysis: Netanyahu stalling is an ominous sign for the fragile deal
Reporting from Jerusalem
This is an extraordinarily fragile deal. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not signed it, nor has he gone on television to trumpet it as a historic moment or offer congratulations for its completion.
so while President Joe Biden, his successor President-elect Donald Trump, Hamas, Qatar and Egypt have verbally agreed to the deal, Netanyahu is making last-minute accusations about Hamas trying to change and renege on the deal.
Hamas has disputed this and has asked the Americans to step in, saying Netanyahu is looking for excuses to escape from the deal to appease members of his right-wing government.
so just a few hours after the deal was announced, we’re already seeing accusations and counterclaims.
While some of this back-and-forth is probably to be expected, and we do have a little bit of time, it is nonetheless an ominous sign.
Journalist killed as ceasefire is announced
An Israeli strike killed Palestinian journalist Ahmed Al-shayah in Khan Younis the night the ceasefire deal was announced.
Today, his family mourned over his shrouded body, laid with his blue press vest, in the latest killing in what has become the deadliest war for journalists.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 165 journalists and media workers have been killed since the war began, the vast majority in Gaza. Other have been killed in the occupied West Bank, Israel and Lebanon.
“At least 11 journalists and two media workers were directly targeted by Israeli forces in killings which CPJ classifies as murders,” the organization said.
“For fifteen months, journalists in Gaza have been displaced, starved, slandered, threatened, injured, and killed by the Israeli army,” Thibaut Bruttin, head of Reporters Without Borders said in a statement yesterday. “Despite these dangers, they have continued to inform their fellow citizens and the world while foreign journalists were denied access to the territory.”
Egypt prepares to reopen Rafah crossing
Reporting from Cairo
The Egyptian government has said a delegation of the European Union's monitoring mission will arrive in Cairo next week as it prepares to implement the ceasefire agreement, which includes the resumption of operations in the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing.
Aid trucks that have been lined up next to warehouses for months will be moved to the crossing with Gaza, Dr. Raed Abdel Nasser, general secretary of the Red Crescent in North sinai, told NBC News.
should the agreement push through, it would allow for the entry of 600 trucks of humanitarian aid into Gaza each day.
Regional leaders express hope tempered with caution
When the ceasefire agreement was announced last night, jubilation was not limited to Israel and Gaza.
Egypt, which was heavily involved in the negotiations, welcomed the deal, with President Abdel Fattah el-sissi adding that a two-state solution had to be reached to "enjoy stability." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on X, “We hope that the agreement will be beneficial for our region and all of humanity.”
Iran, which suffered serious damage by the weakening of its proxy militias Hezbollah and Hamas, also welcomed the deal.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged caution on X, saying Israel’s commitments need to be monitored.
Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry hailed "the legendary patience of the Palestinian people."
Israel launches airstrikes after reaching ceasefire deal with Hamas
Reporting from JERUsALEM
Even with a ceasefire deal announced, attacks in Gaza continued overnight, a reminder that this will be tough.
Despite that and despite the reservations expressed this morning by Israel, the deal does appear to be moving forward for now.
U.s. confident last-minute 'issues' will be overcome, NsC spox tells 'TODAY'
The Biden administration is "aware of these issues" raised by Israel over the ceasefire and hostage release deal, but remains confident those issues will be overcome, White House National security Council spokesperson John Kirby told "TODAY" on NBC this morning.
"We’re going to get there," Kirby said, adding that the deal "has got to get approved by the Israeli government."
Israel has said that its cabinet will not meet to approve the deal, claiming Hamas was creating a “last-minute crisis.” The militant group denied this and said it was committed to the agreement.
When asked why the deal had not been agreed to months ago, Kirby said that what had changed was that "Hamas is weaker now and more willing to make a deal."
He acknowledged that President-elect Donald Trump "certainly helped" to push the deal forward, saying "there's plenty of credit to go around."
But, he insisted, "The hostages don't care. The people of Gaza don't care. They just want to go home."
What we know about the ceasefire — and what it means for Gaza
Reporting from TEL AVIV
The ceasefire deal has been reached after 15 months of devastating war that has seen tens of thousands of people killed in Gaza, left scores of Israeli hostages in dire limbo, and changed the face of the Middle East.
The truce is expected to bring a halt to the deadly fighting in the Gaza strip that has killed more than 46,500 people, according to local health officials, with much-needed aid also expected to flow into Gaza. It will also see the phased release of hostages captured during the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack still being held in Gaza, as well as the release of Palestinians detained by Israel.
China and Russia welcome ceasefire deal, hoping it's permanent
Reporting from Hong Kong and Beijing
China said it supports the ceasefire agreement and will aid in postwar reconstruction efforts.
"We sincerely hope all parties will take the Gaza ceasefire as an opportunity to ease regional tensions," said Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun.
In Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “A settlement that leads to a ceasefire and an end to suffering of people in Gaza and that boosts Israel’s security, can only be welcomed."
"Let's wait for the process to be finalized," he told reporters.
Israeli group protests against the ceasefire in Jerusalem today
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’t lead to Hamas’ 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.
senior Israeli minister criticizes deal
Bezalel smotrich, Israel's far-right finance minister, has expressed strong opposition to the ceasefire deal with Hamas.
"We are in the midst of fateful days, faced with a heartbreaking dilemma between the desire to see all the hostages return to us and the fear of the heavy price of the deal and its implications for Israel's future," he said in a post on X. He added: "I firmly believe that the majority of the public rejects attempts to turn this discussion into a civil war of hatred and division."
"We must remember that both supporters and opponents of the deal share the same goals: to see the hostages home and to safeguard Israel's security," smotrich said.
The minister's Religious Zionist Party is reportedly among the political parties considering resigning from the government over the ceasefire deal.
Palestinian mother says the ‘painful memory’ of war will endure
A displaced Palestinian mother in Khan Younis expressed mixed feelings about the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel as she prepared to visit her son in Gaza City, whom she had not seen in 15 months.
Israeli strikes kill 71 people in Gaza since ceasefire deal is announced, local officials say
Israeli strikes have killed at least 71 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, since the ceasefire agreement was announced yesterday, Gaza’s Civil Defense said this morning.
Another 200 people were injured, said spokesperson Mahmoud Basal.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News. Israel has consistently denied targeting civilians throughout the war and said it is acting to destroy Hamas.
At least 15 people were killed and more than 20 injured in strikes that hit a residential block north of Gaza City late last night, the Civil Defense said earlier on Telegram.
Two more bodies were recovered in central Gaza City, the Civil Defense said this morning. It also said five others were killed and more than 10 were injured from the same family after a house was struck west of Gaza City.
Iran says ceasefire a 'victory' for Palestinians, calls for Israeli leaders to be punished
Iran has hailed the ceasefire agreement as a "clear victory" for the Palestinian resistance, as it called for Israeli leaders to be punished for war crimes.
"The imposition of a ceasefire on the Zionist regime mark a clear victory for Palestine and an even greater defeat" for Israel, Iran's Revolutionary Guard said in a statement.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, hailed Gazans, saying on X, “It was the patience of the people & steadfastness of Palestinian Resistance & Resistance Front that forced Zionist regime to retreat.”
In another statement, Iran's foreign ministry called for the "punishment of the criminal leaders of the Israeli regime for committing the most severe international crimes."
The International Criminal Court in November issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense chief Yoav Gallant for a string of human rights abuses in the Gaza strip. Israel has branded ICC's decision as "antisemitic."
Families of deceased hostages worry remains won't be returned
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an advocacy group that represents many of the hostages’ families, said the families were "deeply moved and overjoyed" by news of the ceasefire deal, which includes the release of 33 hostages in the first phase.
But it expressed concern about whether the bodies of hostages who had died would be returned to Israel for burial.
"We are filled with worry as we hear media reports that completely ignore the group of fallen hostages as if they have vanished and are no longer deserving of being brought home to their land for a proper burial," the group said according to a statement published in The Jerusalem Post. "We are deeply concerned that they will be left behind."
Under the terms of the agreement, the bodies of hostages who have died are to be returned in the third phase.
Jordan's King Abdullah welcomes Gaza ceasefire
King Abullah II of Jordan welcomed the Gaza ceasefire and urged the world "to alleviate the tragedy by maximizing the humanitarian response."
"We value the efforts of Egypt, Qatar, and the Us," he said in a post on X today, "and reaffirm Jordan's commitment to supporting the Palestinians, sustaining aid flow, and working for peace."
Why the Gaza death toll could be much higher than official figures
The number of people killed in Gaza during Israel‘s deadly offensive in the Palestinian enclave is significantly higher than the figures reported by local health authorities, researchers at a leading health university in Britain have found.
In the peer-reviewed study that was published last week in The Lancet journal, researchers at the London school of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said they estimated that as many as 64,260 people were killed in the first nine months of the war.
That would be around 41% higher than the official figure of 37,877 reported by the Palestinian health ministry for that time.
Hamas says it is committed to the ceasefire deal
A senior Hamas official has said the group is committed to the ceasefire deal reached yesterday, after Israel claimed the group was reneging on the deal.
"Hamas is committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators," Izzat al-Rishq said in a Telegram post.
Another senior official, sami Abu Zuhri, told Al-Arabiya TV that "there is no basis for Netanyahu’s allegations that the movement has backed down from the terms of the ceasefire agreement."
He claimed that Israel "wants to create a state of tension at a critical time and we demand that it be obligated to implement the agreement."
Gazans in Khan Younis huddle around screens to watch ceasefire news
People watched the live broadcast of the Qatari Prime Minister announcing a ceasefire deal as they gathered inside a tent in Khan Younis in southern Gaza late last night.
Priority must be easing Gaza suffering, U.N. says
Now that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire, "the priority must be to ease the tremendous suffering," U.N. secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
"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 told reporters yesterday, calling the humanitarian situation "catastrophic."
"It is imperative that this ceasefire removes the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid across Gaza so that we can support a major increase in urgent lifesaving humanitarian support," Guterres said.
‘Grateful’ father of American hostage speaks out after ceasefire announcement
Adi Alexander, whose son Edan is among the American hostages held by Hamas, spoke with NBC News after the ceasefire and hostage agreement was announced.
Israel says Cabinet won't vote on deal, claims Hamas creating 'last-minute crisis'
Israel has said that its Cabinet, which had been expected to meet today, will not vote on the ceasefire deal, as it claimed Hamas had reneged and created a "last-minute crisis."
Hamas said in a statement that it was “committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office had said the militant group had reneged on parts of the agreement "in an effort to extort last-minute concessions." It was not clear which aspects of the deal Israel was referring to.
The Israeli Cabinet “will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement,” the prime minister’s office said.
The earliest a ceasefire can come into effect is Friday, after it is approved by the Israeli Cabinet. The country's supreme Court would then have 24 hours to allow an appeal and the first hostages would come out on sunday, a diplomatic source in Washington previously told NBC News.