DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal, mediators announced Wednesday, pausing a devastating 15-month war in the Gaza Strip and raising the possibility of winding down the deadliest and most destructive fighting between the bitter enemies.
The deal, coming after weeks of painstaking negotiations in the Qatari capital, promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and would allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes. It also would flood badly needed humanitarian aid into a devastated territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says a ceasefire deal with Hamas has still not been reached.
In a statement, Netanyahu’s office said that final details were still unresolved, but that it hoped “details will be finalized tonight.”
That comes after multiple mediators had said Israel and Hamas agreed to …