DOHA, 15 JAN

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 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.

Three officials from the US and one from Hamas confirmed that a deal had been reached, while a senior Israeli official said details are still being ironed out.

All three US officials requested anonymity to discuss the contours of the deal before the official announcement by mediators in Doha.

President Joe Biden was preparing to address the breakthrough agreement later Thursday, officials said.

Any agreement still needs to be approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet, but is expected to go into effect in the coming days.

The deal is expected to deliver an initial six-week halt to fighting that is to be accompanied by the opening of negotiations on ending the war altogether.

Over six weeks, 33 of the nearly 100 hostages are to be reunited with their loved ones after months in in captivity with no contact with the outside world, though it's unclear if all are alive.

It remained unclear exactly when and how many displaced Palestinians would be able to return to what remains of their homes and whether the agreement would lead to a complete end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza — key Hamas demands for releasing the remaining captives.

Many longer-term questions about postwar Gaza remain, including who will rule the territory or oversee the daunting task of reconstruction.

Still, the announcement offered the first sign of hope in months that Israel and Hamas may be winding down the most deadly and destructive war they've ever fought, a conflict that has destabilised the broader Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.

Hamas triggered the war with its October 7, 2023, cross-border attack, which killed some 1,200 Israelis and took 250 others hostage. Israel responded with a fierce offensive that has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, displaced an estimated 90 per cent of Gaza's population and sparked a humanitarian crisis.

More than 100 hostages were freed from Gaza in a week-long truce in November 2023.