ISRAEL and Hamas have agreed a ceasefire deal for the Gaza Strip, mediators announced today, raising hopes that Israel will halt its killing spree in the Palestinian territory after 15 months of death and destruction. 

The deal, coming after weeks of painstaking negotiations in the Qatari capital Doha, promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced people to what remains of their homes.

It also would flood badly needed humanitarian aid into the devastated coastal enclave.

Officials from Qatar and Hamas confirmed that a deal had been reached, but Israel had yet to comment as the Morning Star went to press.

The agreement still requires approval by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, but it is expected to take effect in the coming days.

The deal is expected to deliver an initial six-week halt to fighting that is to be accompanied by the opening of negotiations on a complete end to the war.

Over six weeks, 33 of the nearly 100 hostages are to be reunited with their loved ones after months in in captivity with no contact with the outside world, though it’s not known whether all are alive.

It remains unclear exactly when and how many displaced Palestinians would be able to return to what remains of their homes and whether the agreement would lead to a complete end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza — key Hamas demands for the release of the remaining captives.

Many longer-term questions about postwar Gaza remain, including who will rule the territory and oversee the daunting task of reconstruction.

But, the announcement offers the first sign of hope in months that Israel and Hamas may be winding down the most deadly and destructive war they’ve ever fought, a conflict that has destabilised the broader Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.

The Israeli retaliation to the surprise attack by Hamas and its allies on October 7 2023 — during which some 1,200 were killed and 250 others taken hostage — has left well over 46,000 Palestinians dead.

Gaza has been largely destroyed by the Israeli onslaught, which has displaced an estimated 90 per cent of the population and sparked a humanitarian crisis.

More than 100 hostages were freed from Gaza during a week-long truce in November 2023.