Timeline: The path to the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal in Gaza

A ceasefire woody betwixt Israel and the Palestinian radical Hamas has gone into effect successful Gaza, allowing much than 2 cardinal Palestinians successful the enclave immoderate respite aft 15 months of devastating war.

The archetypal six-week signifier of the ceasefire statement volition spot immoderate of the Israeli captives held successful Gaza released successful speech for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a gradual Israeli withdrawal to Gaza’s borders with Israel, and a immense summation successful entree for humanitarian aid.

It is hoped that the archetypal signifier volition pave the mode for the 2nd and 3rd phases, which volition pb to the merchandise of each captives and a imperishable ceasefire.

The way to this latest statement has been agelong and afloat of mendacious starts. Here’s a look astatine the travel to this woody since the warfare started connected October 7, 2023.

Israeli aerial onslaught connected Jabalia aft Israel and Gaza reached a ceasefire woody [Hasan N H Alzaanin/Anadolu]

The archetypal truce

After much than six weeks of warring that destroyed extended areas of Gaza and killed thousands, Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day truce connected November 21, 2023.

In the weeks since Hamas fighters had attacked confederate Israel connected October 7, 2023, and killed 1,200 people, the Israeli service had relentlessly bombarded Gaza with aerial and crushed attacks, sidesplitting much than 14,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Additionally, an estimated 1.7 cardinal Palestinians had been displaced and forced by the Israeli service to fly to the confederate areas of the Strip.

After weeks of hectic negotiations led by Qatar and aggregate instances erstwhile a woody appeared connected the skyline earlier falling apart, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a gathering of his cabinet, which past voted to o.k. a truce deal.

About 250 captives were taken by Hamas and different Palestinian groups pursuing the onslaught connected October 7. As portion of the November deal, 110 were freed.

Israel released much than 240 Palestinian prisoners, each of them women and children.

The truce was extended to 7 days, but Netanyahu made it wide that Israel was not ending its warfare connected Gaza and that the halt successful warring was lone temporary. Israel resumed its warfare connected Gaza connected December 1, 2023.

A antheral waves Palestinian flags arsenic Palestinians respond to quality of a ceasefire woody with Israel, successful Deir el-Balah successful the cardinal Gaza Strip, January 15, 2025 [Ramadan Abed/Reuters]

International pressure

As Israel’s warfare connected Gaza intensified, protests broke retired astir the globe.

Notably, assemblage students successful the United States held campus protests and sit-ins that grabbed planetary attention.

As the warfare continued, a fewer European nations officially recognised the authorities of Palestine, including Ireland, Spain and Norway.

South Africa besides filed a genocide case against Israel astatine the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which was aboriginal backed by astatine slightest 14 countries, including Belgium, Colombia, Turkiye, Egypt, Chile and Spain.

Negotiations continue

In May 2024, arsenic the warfare connected Gaza entered its eighth month, hopes that a ceasefire mightiness beryllium reached were amplified arsenic talks progressed.

In Cairo, Egyptian and Qatari officials worked with the Americans to find an statement – then, Hamas person Ismail Haniyeh said connected May 6 that his radical had accepted a proposal. Palestinians started to observe successful the streets of Gaza.

That agreement, which would instrumentality spot implicit 3 stages, stated that Hamas would merchandise 33 Israeli captives successful speech for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held successful Israeli prisons implicit the people of 42 days. In the 2nd phase, the Israeli service would afloat retreat from Gaza.

Israel, however, said it had not agreed to the presumption of the ceasefire. Soon after, Israel launched an penetration of Rafah successful confederate Gaza.

Then successful precocious May, US President Joe Biden said Israel had agreed to an ‘enduring ceasefire proposal’. But Netanyahu aboriginal rejected the program and carried connected the war.

Lebanon war

Israel and Hezbollah began attacking each different connected October 8, 2023, arsenic the Lebanese radical said it was firing connected Israel successful solidarity with Gaza. On September 23, 2024, Israel intensified its attacks connected Lebanon, killing much than 550 people successful a azygous day. The onslaught came conscionable a fewer days aft the notorious pager and walkie-talkie attacks, and a fewer days earlier the assassination of Hezbollah’s longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

A fewer days later, connected October 1, 2024, Israel invaded southbound Lebanon.

Analyst Hamzé Attar told Al Jazeera that helium believes Israel’s objectives successful Gaza were achieved successful aboriginal 2024 but the warfare was prolonged to execute attacks connected Hezbollah successful Lebanon.

A ceasefire was announced connected November 27 that would spot Hezbollah propulsion backmost its subject infrastructure northbound of the Litani River and the Lebanese Armed Forces deploy to southbound Lebanon. The ceasefire statement besides states that Israeli troops should retreat from southbound Lebanon earlier the 60-day ceasefire play ends.

Israeli troops are inactive contiguous successful borderline towns and are destroying homes and villages earlier withdrawing.

ICJ warrants

In November 2024, the ICJ issued apprehension warrants for Netanyahu and Israel’s erstwhile defence minister, Yoav Gallant, for committing alleged warfare crimes successful Gaza.

Many states said they would respect the court’s decision, though the US rejected the ruling and immoderate officials threatened the court.

Trump enters the fray

On December 2, US President-elect Donald Trump posted to societal media that determination would beryllium “hell to pay” if the captives successful Gaza were not freed earlier helium came to office. He repeated the demands aboriginal successful December and again successful aboriginal January.

Regional negotiations, including for ceasefires successful Gaza and Lebanon, were reportedly coordinated betwixt the Biden medication and immoderate of the incoming officials from Trump’s caller administration.

A woody is reached

On January 15, negotiators reportedly reached a deal aft 15 months of warfare successful which astatine slightest tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed. Some estimates enactment the decease toll astatine much than 100,000.

An Israeli furniture gathering approved the woody connected Saturday, contempt absorption from far-right ministers.

The ceasefire was owed to statesman astatine 8:30am section clip (06:30GMT) connected Sunday, January 19. Shortly earlier this time, Netanyahu issued a connection saying it would not commencement until Hamas provided the names of the archetypal 3 Israeli captives to beryllium released. Hamas attributed the hold successful handing implicit the names to “technical tract reasons”.

After Hamas released the names, the ceasefire came into effect astatine 11:15am section clip (09:15GMT)

Much similar the woody projected successful May, this ceasefire is acceptable to rotation retired successful 3 phases. The archetypal signifier volition past 42 days arsenic Israeli forces propulsion retired of Gaza.

The Israeli subject should besides retreat from populated areas of Gaza, allowing Palestinians to instrumentality to neighbourhoods passim the enclave arsenic a surge successful humanitarian assistance is allowed through. The United Nations and different bodies and organisations person accused the Israelis of blocking assistance into Gaza for the amended portion of the past year.

Throughout the assorted negotiations, US officials often laid the blasted connected Hamas for failing to hold to the presumption of a ceasefire agreement. However, successful the run-up to the agreement, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir claimed that helium had repeatedly blocked ceasefire deals implicit the past 15 months.

US President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu successful the Oval Office [Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters]