An agreement offers Gazans at least some respite, and for Israelis it means the release of hostages. But the deal’s ambiguity leaves open the possibility that fighting could resume within weeks.

The deal is set to pause fighting in Gaza for six weeks, and lead to the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

WASHINGTON—The finalizing of the cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas owes much to the impending transfer of power from President Biden to President-elect Donald Trump, sparking a pointed debate over who deserves the credit.

Negotiators said a deal between Israel and Hamas was closer than ever even as Israeli airstrikes on Gaza continued, killing at least 13.

Biden said he was “confident” that the deal would hold, and that U.S. hostages would be released in the first phase. The cease-fire deal is broadly similar to a three-phase framework publicized by the U.S. in May, according to officials.

Work on an agreement that would pause months of fighting and free some hostages resumed after Hamas went silent.

WASHINGTON — More than 15 months into Israel’s devastating war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the two sides have agreed to a cease-fire deal that would pause fighting and free some Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, according to U.S. officials Wednesday.

Israel hasn’t yet commented. The agreement still needs to be approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet.

After months of on-off negotiations conducted by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, there is hope that the remaining details of the ceasefire deal will be resolved within hours and could go into effect on Jan.

President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are both claiming credit for Israel and Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire deal in Gaza after the White House brought Trump’s Middle East envoy into neg

While President Joe Biden said it was a joint effort with incoming President Donald Trump in the cease-fire talks, while Trump took credit for an "EPIC" cease-fire.