Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire and hostage-release deal on what's been declared a "day of success" by US President Joe Biden.
The deal to pause Israel's 15-month bombardment of Gaza, which has killed an estimated 46,000 people, was announced after days of intensive negotiations in Qatar.
"This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much needed-humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians and reunite the hostages with their families," Mr Biden said.
Assuming it is formally approved by Israel's war cabinet, the deal will come into effect on Sunday and roll out in three phases.
The first phase would involve the implementation of a "full and complete ceasefire" for at least six weeks, while negotiations continue over a complete end to the war.
Thirty-three hostages held in Gaza — including women, children, men over 50, and the most seriously ill — would be released in the first phase.
Israeli soldiers will withdraw from populated areas of Gaza, and displaced Palestinians will be allowed to return to their neighbourhoods, though much of the area has been reduced to rubble.
Hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons are also likely to be released. Human rights groups say many were arbitrarily detained without charge after the October 7 attacks, and the UN's human rights office last year alleged thousands of them had been tortured and mistreated.
Some technical details of the deal remain unclear. Some terms of the second and third phases of the deal would be worked out during the first phase
"During the next six weeks, Israel will negotiate the necessary arrangements to get to phase two, which is a permanent end of the war," Mr Biden said.
Politics of deal
Mr Biden said his personnel and members of the incoming Trump administration had been "speaking as one team". Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, recently joined the negotiations alongside officials from the current administration.
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had spoken with both Mr Biden and Trump, and agreed to meet the president-elect in Washington soon.
Trump had repeatedly warned "all hell will break out" if Hamas did not agree to release hostages before his return to the White House. The new deal takes effect the day before his inauguration.
He used social media to say the deal could only have happened if he had won the November presidential election.
"It signalled to the entire world that my administration would seek peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans and our allies," Trump posted.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong hailed the deal as a "constructive step towards peace". In a joint statement, they said Australia would keep working with the international community towards a two-state solution.
"We hope it will allow the Palestinian people the opportunity to rebuild, reform their governance, and pursue self-determination," they said.
But they said Hamas must not be involved in governing Gaza, and any future Palestinian state must not be able to threaten Israel's security.
Protest among celebrations
In central Tel Aviv, the so-called Hostages Square has been a focal point for the families and supporters of people abducted by Hamas on October 7.As the deal was announced, there was a small vigil for the hostages, with candles on the ground and people singing Hebrew prayers of hope and "Imagine" by John Lennon.
Earlier, a couple of streets away, protesters gathered outside the headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Tel Aviv.
Many voiced concerns the deal meant not all of the Israeli hostages would be freed. About 98 hostages are believed to still be in Gaza.
"I don't think that they should leave people behind," one protester told the ABC.
"I think that they should bring all of them. But as long as they are bringing people back, that's the best we can have, but I think they should do the best they can to bring all of them back."
The deal was first announced by the Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, whose country had been mediating the talks alongside the US and Egypt.
Sheikh Mohammed said the agreement relied on both sides keeping to their promises "in good faith".
War between Hamas and Israel began after the October 7, 2023 attacks, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed, and Hamas fighters took a further 250 people hostage.
