Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas are close to agreeing to a cease-fire. The 15-month war is expected to end after the two sides reached an agreement in Qatar-brokered talks, although no announcement was made as of Tuesday night.

Representatives of Israel and Hamas held talks in Qatar's capital Doha on Tuesday to finalize an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

According to CNN, the agreement was reached after both sides accepted the framework put forward by US President Joe Biden. The US, Qatar and Egypt have long been lobbying for a cease-fire in Gaza. After the death of more than 48,000 people, both sides are ready for a ceasefire. 

According to the BBC, indirect talks were held between representatives of Israel and Hamas in the same building in Doha. Israel was represented by the head of the intelligence agency Mossad, David Barnia, and the director of the internal security agency Shin Bet, Ronen Barr, at the talks hosted by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani. Likewise, Khalil al-Hayya, acting head of the Political Bureau and chief negotiator, was present on behalf of Hamas. Director of Egypt's intelligence agency Hassan Rasad, US President Joe Biden and Donald Trump's special envoys Brett McGurk and Steve Wittkoff also participated in the talks. 

The war between the two sides erupted after the Palestinian group Hamas launched an unexpected attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed in the attack by Hamas on October 7. Hamas took 251 hostages. According to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, 119 people were released by Hamas during a temporary ceasefire for humanitarian aid. 

8 people were freed by the Israeli army and 37 people were handed over after death. 3 people who escaped from the control of Hamas were killed in the attack of the Israeli army.    94 people, including Vipin Joshi from Nepal, 1 from Tanzania, 8 from Thailand and 84 from Israel, are yet to be freed from Hamas control. Among them are 81 males and 13 females. 2 of them are under 5 years old.

According to Israeli officials, 60 of those held by Hamas are still alive. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, 46,645 Palestinians have lost their lives in the war since October 7. More than a third of them are children. According to Palestinian officials, the number of children killed has exceeded 18,000. 100,000 were injured in the Israeli attack. 

Israel has lost more than 1400 lives. The World Bank, the United Nations and the European Union made preliminary estimates of the physical damage of $18.5 billion in one year (as of last October 7) due to the Israel-Hamas war. 

According to the cease-fire agreement, 33 people, including women, children, elderly and wounded, who were held hostage by Hamas, will be released gradually, according to AP news agency. 5 of the 33 will be Israeli female soldiers. Hamas will release each female soldier in exchange for 50 Palestinian prisoners. Of the Palestinian prisoners who were supposed to be released, 30 are serving life sentences in Israel. 

In the 42 days under the first phase, Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip will withdraw from populated areas. Palestinians will be allowed to return to their homes in northern Gaza and humanitarian aid will be provided there. About 600 trucks are said to be allowed to enter every day for humanitarian aid. It is mentioned in the agreement that the implementation of the second phase will be further discussed during the first phase. 

There is no written guarantee that the ceasefire will continue until the second phase of the agreement is reached. Therefore, it is still possible that Israel will resume its military campaign after the end of the first phase. The mediators have given verbal assurances to Hamas that the talks will continue as planned and that they will press for the implementation of the second and third phases of the agreement before the first phase of the agreement is implemented. The deal allows Israel to initially retain control over the Philadelphia Corridor, an area along Gaza's border with Egypt. 

In previous negotiations, Hamas has been maintaining the position that the Israeli army should withdraw from the Philadelphia corridor. The Philadelphia Corridor, which borders Egypt and southern Gaza, is considered strategically important. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been saying that he does not want to withdraw his troops from the Philadelphia Corridor. Israel has agreed to withdraw troops from the Netzerim Corridor. The Netzerim region of central Gaza has been under the control of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) since November 2023.  The

deal states that in the second phase, Israeli forces will be completely withdrawn from Gaza, and in exchange, Hamas will release additional prisoners, including soldiers. But Hamas has said it will not release the remaining hostages without an end to the war and the full return of Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has said in the past that fighting will resume until Hamas's military and governance capabilities are exhausted. But it is said that the territory may be left in the hands of Hamas until an alternative government is formed in Gaza during the negotiations during the implementation of the first phase of the agreement. In the third phase, Hamas will return the bodies of the remaining hostages in exchange for a 3- to 5-year reconstruction plan in Gaza under international supervision.

It is believed that both sides are under pressure for a ceasefire due to Donald Trump, who is going to take office as the US president next week. Trump, who will assume the presidency on January 20, has threatened that the situation in Gaza will become more dire if there is no ceasefire agreement.

His Special Envoy for West Asia (Middle East) Steve Wittkoff joined mediators from the US, Egypt and Qatar during ongoing talks in Doha, Qatar. Trump said on Monday that a ceasefire was "very close". "There's a handshake and they're getting it done this week," Trump said. 

American President Biden had a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Sunday. He spoke to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar, who is mediating the talks, on Monday. After that, it is said that more progress has been made in the talks. 

There was pressure on the US not to provide military aid to Israel as thousands of civilians were killed in Gaza due to the Israeli attack, but the Biden administration has been ignoring it. But after Trump takes power, some changes in US policy are expected. Plans put forward by the Biden administration are likely to be blocked by Trump. Trump has been saying that he will reduce US involvement in foreign conflicts. Although he appeared in support of Israel, he said that the war in Gaza should end immediately.

America has been supplying the most weapons and modern equipment to Israel. Between 2019 and 2023, 69 percent of the weapons used by Israel were exported from the United States. Hamas has repeatedly blamed Israel for the failure of talks. Hamas said Israel would reject the mediator's offer or immediately launch new military operations. But Israel and its close ally the United States have been saying that Hamas is responsible for the lack of a ceasefire agreement. 

It is reported that the Israeli cabinet will approve the latest ceasefire agreement. According to the BBC, Israeli government spokesman David Menser said any agreement, similar to the temporary ceasefire in November 2023, would be submitted to the cabinet for a vote. But Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is facing strong opposition from within his coalition regarding the ceasefire agreement. Some members of Netanyahu's Likud party have sent a letter opposing the ceasefire.