- Title: TIMELINE: A look at the Israel-Hamas war as 2025 ceasefire agreed
- Date: 13th January 2025
- Summary: President-elect Donald Trump reiterated a warning to Hamas, saying "all hell will break out in the Middle East" if Israeli hostages kidnapped in the Oct. 7 2024 attack were not returned to their families by the time he took office. Trump was speaking to journalists at a press conference in Palm Beach, Florida, where he was joined by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff who said he was hopeful that he would have "good things to announce" by the time Trump is sworn in as president on Jan. 20. PALM BEACH, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 7, 2025) (UNRESTRICTED POOL) (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING: "If those hostages aren't back - I don't want to hurt your negotiation - if they're not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East. And it will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone. All hell will break out. I don't have to say anymore, but that's what it is. And they should have given them back a long time. They should have never taken them. They should have never been the attack of October 7th. People forget that."
- Embargoed: 27th January 2025 17:30
- Keywords: BIDEN ISRAEL NETANYAHU PALESTINIANS PEACE TRUMP WAR WITKOFF
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: Israel
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001283013012025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE SEE : 0093-ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/2023-2024 for further cover
Mediators gave Israel and Hamas a final draft of a deal on Monday (January 13) to end the war in Gaza, an official briefed on the negotiations said, after a midnight "breakthrough" in talks attended by envoys of both Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
The official said the text for a ceasefire and release of hostages was presented by Qatar to both sides at talks in Doha, which included the chiefs of Israel's Mossad and Shin Bet spy agencies and Qatar's prime minister.
Steve Witkoff, who will become U.S. envoy when Trump returns to the U.S. presidency next week, attended the talks, the official said. A U.S. source said the outgoing Biden administration's envoy Brett McGurk was also there.
"The next 24 hours will be pivotal to reaching the deal," the official said, characterising the draft as the outcome of a breakthrough reached in the early hours of Monday.
Qatar's ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, received a Hamas delegation headed by senior official Khalil al-Hayya to discuss the ceasefire talks, the emir's office said.
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