The United States and Qatar have confirmed a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, ending the 15-month-long brutal conflict in Gaza and paving the way for the release of many hostages. According to Joe Biden, the ceasefire agreement will be implemented in three phases.

The first phase, lasting six weeks, includes a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas of Gaza and the release of hostages, including Americans.

In return, Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and Palestinians would be able to return to their neighborhoods.

Phase 2 focuses on negotiating a permanent end to the war, including the release of the remaining hostages and a full Israeli withdrawal, which would make the ceasefire permanent.

Phase 3 would see the return of the remains of the dead hostages and the beginning of the reconstruction of Gaza.

US President Joe Biden announced the ceasefire during a press briefing, saying, "It's a great afternoon because finally, I can announce a ceasefire and a hostage agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas. More than 15 months of terror for the hostages, their families and the Israeli people and more than 15 months of suffering by the innocent people of Gaza. The fighting in Gaza will stop and soon the hostages will return home to their families."

Joe Biden described this negotiation as one of the most difficult negotiations of his life and attributed the success of this agreement to the pressure exerted by Israel on Hamas with the support of America.

Those who have been following the negotiations can attest that the road to this deal has not been easy. I have worked in foreign policy for decades. This has been one of the most difficult negotiations I have ever experienced. I got to this point because Israel put pressure on Hamas with the support of the United States.

The US also formed a coalition of 20 countries to counter the Houthis' attacks, including their missile strikes on Israel.

At the G20 in Delhi in September 2023, I united leading countries from India to the Middle East to Europe behind the vision of an economic charter, a vision that can now become reality.

America's newly elected President Donald Trump

America's newly elected President Donald Trump expressed happiness over the news of ceasefire on his Truth social platform. During this, he said, this historic ceasefire agreement was possible only as a result of our historic victory in November, as it signaled to the whole world that my administration will seek peace and bargain to ensure the safety of all Americans and our allies. I am thrilled that American and Israeli hostages will return home to meet their families and loved ones.

Trump said he would leverage the Gaza ceasefire deal to further the Abraham Accords, US-sponsored agreements made during his first term that normalized Israel's relations with several Arab countries.

We will continue to promote peace through strength throughout the region, as we build on the momentum of this ceasefire to advance the historic Abraham Accords. This is just the beginning of great things to come for America and, indeed, the world!

The president-elect also said that his national security team, through the efforts of Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, would continue to work closely with Israel and its allies to ensure that Gaza never again becomes a "safe haven for terrorists."

With this agreement in place, my national security team, through the efforts of Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and our allies to ensure that Gaza never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists.

Former US President Barack Obama

Former US President Barack Obama described the ceasefire agreement on 7 October as "good news" for the families of those taken hostage, for Palestinian civilians who have suffered for more than a year, and for all those praying for an end to this conflict.

The ceasefire and hostage release agreement announced between Israel and Hamas is good news – for the families of those taken hostage on 7 October, for the Palestinian civilians who have suffered for more than a year, and for all those who have prayed for an end to this terrible chapter.

Obama acknowledged that no agreement can ease the pain of those who have lost loved ones or resolve the long-standing conflict between Israel and Palestinians.

"This work will be very hard and will take a lot of time. But it will stop the bloodshed, allow people to return to their homes, and bring much-needed aid to more than one million desperate, hungry people," he said.

Expressing his support for the agreement, the former President said, this is something we should all support.

He expressed gratitude to Biden, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and all the leaders and diplomatic teams around the world who worked hard to achieve this agreement.