Live updates on Israel-Hamas ceasefire: US, Qatar announce deal

Implementation of the deal could begin on Sunday, when the first group of hostages could be released, according to a senior U.S. official involved in the negotiations.

Negotiations have intensified over the past four days, according to the official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, had joined Biden’s Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, in Doha for talks in recent days. The official described the coordination between McGurk and Witkoff as a successful partnership.

American, Qatari and Egyptian negotiators and the nearby Israeli team worked into the early hours of Wednesday morning, just one floor above where Hamas negotiators were also working, the senior official said.

Later Wednesday, Hamas made several last-second demands, but “we held firm” and Hamas ultimately agreed to the terms of the deal, the U.S. official said.