A ceasefire agreement has been reached after more than a year of fighting in Gaza, a Hamas official told Sky News.

If confirmed, the deal would be a major breakthrough in a war that has killed tens of thousands of people and injured many more and forced them from their homes.

Follow live: Deal reached – says Hamas

The agreement calls for a six-week initial ceasefire period that includes a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the central Gaza Strip and the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza, Reuters news agency reported, citing an official briefed on the agreement.

Hamas will release 33 hostages, including all women, children and men over 50, the agency said. In return, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

There were reports of Palestinians celebrating Khan Younis in Gaza when news of the possible ceasefire agreement broke.

Donald Trump, who will be president of the United States again in a few days, said: “We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly.”

It comes after President Joe Biden – in the final days of his presidency – said a deal was “on the brink”.

The implementation of the agreement will be agreed between Qatar, Egypt and the USA.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu He previously said he was determined to destroy Hamas after the Palestinian militant group killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages as it entered Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.

More than 45,000 Palestinians were killed in the subsequent Israeli offensive in Gaza, the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry says.

The Gaza The Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in the number of casualties, but said more than half of the fatalities were women and children.

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