Israel and Hamas reached a deal on Wednesday to cease fire and release hostages, a major breakthrough in relations. 15 months of warincluding cause damage and heightened tensions the whole area.

Israeli officials were briefed on the talks Transaction confirmed NBC News. The long-awaited agreement was reached after separate meetings between Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and Hamas negotiators and Israeli negotiators.

News of the deal sparked joyful demonstrations on the streets of Israel and Gaza late Wednesday night local time.

These developments come ahead of the president-elect’s inauguration Donald Trump January 20 – The date many consider to be the de facto mediation deadline after the president-elect vows that there will be a “heavy price” unless Hamas releases Israeli hostages upon taking office.

“We have a deal on the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released soon,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, The Truth Society.

Qatari mediators on Monday presented a final draft of the agreement to representatives from both sides, including the head of Israel’s spy agency Mossad.

two presidential envoys Joe Biden and Trump attended recent rounds of negotiations. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the proposed deal was based on a framework proposed by the Biden administration in May.

Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for secretary of state, was testifying at his hearing. senate confirmation hearings Wednesday when news of the deal broke. He noted that Steve Witkoff, Trump’s appointed special envoy to the Middle East, had participated in talks held since Witkoff’s appointment was announced.

“Everyone involved deserves credit for the ceasefire that the (Senate committee) chairman just announced,” Rubio said. “But Steve Witkoff has been a key part of it, he’s been involved from day one. ”

Vitkov is not yet an official special envoy of the US government and will only assume this position after Trump is sworn in on January 20.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar thanked U.S. officials for their work in promoting the ceasefire. According to Reuters, Sa’ar told the media on Monday that the deal “looks much better than before,” adding: “I want to thank our American friends for their great efforts in reaching the hostage deal.”

Since assuming this role, Vitkov has also traveled to Qatar and Israel for talks.

Blinken called Vitkov’s participation “critical” and stressed the importance of ensuring Trump’s continued support for the deal after he takes office.

Over the past few months, Hamas and Israeli officials have broadly agreed to a ceasefire in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages held by the militant group in Gaza.

But the enduring sticking point remains Hamas’s demand that a full release of the hostages must lead to a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war, while Israeli leaders believe the Gaza operation must continue until Hamas is disbanded.

Hamas planned and led the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people and took 253 hostages. About 116 of those prisoners have now been released.

The October attack triggered the ensuing Israel-Hamas war and Israel’s relentless military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which Palestinian health authorities say has killed more than 46,000 people and destroyed much of the blockaded territory.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates.