How Trump Achieved a Momentous Ceasefire Deal
Aggressive diplomacy finally brought a pause to the fighting and the release of hostages.
Anthony Constantini
January 18, 2025
What’s happening: Both Hamas and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire and hostage release deal. After a last-minute back and forth, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet approved the measure Friday morning.
Flashback: President-elect Donald Trump promised there would be “hell to pay” if the hostages were not released by his inauguration. The deal goes into effect on January 19 — just one day before.
The details: The ceasefire deal involves three phases. Phase one, starting tomorrow and lasting for six weeks, will see 33 hostages released in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. It also requires the Israeli military to begin a staged withdrawal from Gaza. The second and third phases have yet to be worked out, but would see more hostages released.