Palestinians in tears in central Gaza amid hopes for end to war
Reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud says Palestinians have been pouring into the streets to welcome news of the ceasefire deal.
The overwhelming feeling is one of happiness, Mahmoud reported.
“This is a larger crowd than we expected,” he said from the courtyard of a Deir el-Balah hospital. “Much of the feelings here that we’re seeing were suppressed for the past 15 months as the intense bombing campaign” left people in a state of uncertainty and fear, Mahmoud said.
“We’re seeing these repressed feelings coming to the surface now,” he said. “We’re seeing people in tears. We’re seeing mothers here, who live in tents near the hospital … hugging and kissing their children, thanking God that they have survived.”
Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, react to news reports that a ceasefire deal has been agreed to by Israel and Hamas
Trump takes credit for brokering Gaza ceasefire deal
US President-elect Donald Trump has taken credit for brokering an “epic” ceasefire agreement in Gaza, saying the breakthrough only happened as a “result of our Historic Victory” in the November 2024 presidential election.
Trump said on his Truth Social network that the deal, which has yet to be officially confirmed, “signalled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies”.
“We have achieved so much without even being in the White House,” he said. “Just imagine all of the wonderful things that will happen when I return to the White House, and my Administration is fully confirmed, so they can secure more Victories for the United States!”
Trump is set to give his inaugural address on January 20. In recent days, outgoing President Joe Biden also appeared to take credit for the possible deal, saying the current proposal was largely the same as one his team put forward in May.
Israel says ‘unresolved’ issues remain in Gaza deal
Netanyahu’s office says a ceasefire deal in Gaza has not been finalised but suggests that the final details could be resolved in the coming hours.
“Several clauses in the framework remain unresolved, and we hope that the details will be finalised tonight,” the Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement.
“Due to the strong insistence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas folded on its last-minute demand to change the deployment of IDF forces in the Philadelphi Corridor. However, several items in the framework have yet to be finalised; we hope that the details will be finalised tonight.
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