Overwhelming Relief. Determined Resolve., J Street
“The work, however, is not over yet: We must ensure this ceasefire agreement holds and negotiations on the next phases succeed. The deal must deliver: Each and every hostage must come home. The fighting must stop. Rockets must cease. Forces must pull back. Aid must flood in. Extremists on both sides will seek to undermine this agreement. We cannot allow them to succeed. We cannot go back.”
J Street Welcomes News of a Deal but Warns Implementation Is Key, NBC News
Jeremy Ben-Ami, the organization’s president, said in a statement that extremists on “both sides” may try to spoil the agreement but that they cannot be allowed to succeed. “Implementation of the agreement will now be key: All the hostages have to come home,” Ben-Ami said. “Rockets need to stop. Forces must pull back. Aid has to get in. The war needs to end.”
J Street Welcomes News of Agreement for Gaza Ceasefire and Release of Hostages, J Street
“The negotiating teams from the US, Qatar and Egypt deserve our enormous gratitude for getting us to this point. It is heartening to see representatives of the incoming Trump Administration working side-by-side with Biden Administration officials to exert the requisite pressure on the parties to get this deal over the finish line,” Ben-Ami said. “The work won’t be over until every last hostage is released, IDF troops are out of Gaza, a post-war plan is in place, and rebuilding begins.”
Israel Holds off on Approving Hostage Deal, Accusing Hamas of Reneging on Details, Times of Israel
“Hamas is reneging on the understandings and creating a last-minute crisis that is preventing an agreement,” the PMO said in a statement issued in both English and Hebrew […] Other reports in Israeli media suggested instead that the delay in convening the cabinet was due to attempts to gain the support of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has threatened to quit the government along with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir if the war is ended.
Death Toll in Israeli Strikes on Gaza Rises to 77 Since Ceasefire Deal, Residents Say,, Reuters
Heavy Israeli bombardment, especially in Gaza City, killed 32 people late on Wednesday, medics said. The strikes continued early on Thursday and destroyed houses in Rafah in southern Gaza, Nuseirat in central Gaza and in northern Gaza, residents said.
Israel and Hamas Agree to Gaza Ceasefire, Raising Hopes of a Reprieve, The Washington Post
Israel’s government still needs to formally approve the deal, in a vote officials say will take place Thursday morning. But the agreement could mark a first step toward ending a 15-month war that has destroyed Gaza and divided Israelis.
How Many Hostages Remain in Gaza, and When Could They Be Released?, The New York Times
The cease-fire deal announced on Wednesday between Israel and Hamas would begin with an initial phase lasting six weeks, and involve the release of 33 hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The agreement requires Hamas to release three female hostages on Day 1, four more on Day 7 and 26.
Benjamin Netanyahu Under Pressure From Far-Right Allies on Gaza Ceasefire Deal, Financial Times
While Smotrich and his far-right ally Itamar Ben-Gvir are not thought to have enough support in the cabinet to torpedo a deal should Netanyahu put it to a vote, if they both pulled their far-right parties out of the government, it would lose its majority in parliament.
Why Did Harris Lose Some Biden 2020 Voters? Poll Finds Gaza War Was the Top Issue, Miami Herald
Among Biden 2020 voters who did not cast their ballots for Harris, 29% said “ending Israel’s violence in Gaza” was the main factor affecting their vote — making it the most cited issue among several options, according to a poll by YouGov and the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) Policy Project released Jan. 15.
Right-Wing Groups, Including Bereaved Families, Protest Pending Hostage Release Deal, Times of Israel
Right-wing protesters demonstrated Wednesday night and Thursday against a deal for a truce in the Gaza war that would see the release of at least some of the Israeli hostages held by terror groups in the Palestinian enclave, warning that the terms of the agreement may endanger national security by releasing many convicted Palestinian terrorists while leaving some hostages in captivity and Hamas intact.
Trump and Biden Both Claim Credit for Gaza Ceasefire Deal, AP
The jostling comes with both Biden and Trump determined to see the deal become a set piece of Middle East success for the legacy of their presidency. Biden’s administration worked for months to broker peace in talks that inched frustratingly close to success before repeatedly breaking down. Trump, for his part, had warned of “hell to pay” if a deal wasn’t done by his inauguration — in five days.
Laying Out Postwar Gaza Vision, Blinken Raps Israel’s War Strategy, Shunning of PA, Times of Israel
In a lengthy address at the Atlantic Council that touched on many aspects of the war and the broader state of the Middle East, Blinken offered extended criticism of Israel’s war strategy, particularly its refusal to devise a plan to replace the Hamas terror group, which, he contended, has recruited as many fighters as it has lost in the 15-month war.
A Year of Empty Threats and a “Smokescreen” Policy: How the State Department Let Israel Get Away With Horrors in Gaza, Pro-Publica
Pro-Publica reports that “Biden has repeatedly issued threats that Israel ignored. U.S. officials tried to enforce consequences — but they couldn’t […] The State Department disregarded its own experts and cracked down on leaks. Some human rights officials said they were prevented from pursuing evidence of Israeli abuses […] Experts say Biden’s failure to follow through led to impunity for widespread human rights abuses, including blocking aid deliveries, even after explicit U.S. warnings.”
Text of the Hostage-Ceasefire Agreement Reached Between Israel and Hamas, The Times of Israel
Times of Israel staff acquired and shared the text of the hostage-ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas on January 15, 2025. Several additional appendixes that include maps and other details outlining the parameters of the deal were not included in the copy of the text obtained by The Times of Israel, whose authenticity was confirmed by an Arab diplomat familiar with the negotiations.
What Does the Ceasefire Agreement Mean for Israel, Hamas and the Wider Middle East?, AP
Joseph Krauss writes, “Netanyahu has said Israel will maintain open-ended security control and partner with politically independent Palestinians to govern Gaza — but none is likely to volunteer, as Hamas has threatened anyone who cooperates with such a plan. With Hamas still in control of much of the territory, Israel and Egypt are unlikely to lift the blockade they imposed when it took power in 2007. A United Nations body has calculated that if the blockade remains in place, it could take 350 years to rebuild Gaza.”
Joe Biden Warns ‘Oligarchy Is Taking Shape in America’ in Farewell Address, The Guardian
Joseph Gedeon writes, “Joe Biden’s final address to the nation struck an ominous tone after warning of the growing power of America’s ultra-wealthy, and cautioning that an emerging oligarchy threatens the foundations of US democracy. […] ‘Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.’”