A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas to end the bloodshed in Gaza was close to ‘finished’ last night, Donald Trump said.  

Relatives of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas were informed by Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting that a potential agreement to release their family members and bring an end to the conflict could be reached swiftly.

Efforts were being made on the ground to facilitate the handover of hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees as negotiators worked on finalizing the terms in Doha.

At the same time, Egypt was getting ready to unlock the Rafah border crossing to facilitate the exit of captives from the Gaza Strip, while medical personnel and hospitals in Israel were gearing up to provide care for the released hostages.

An official involved in the talks in Qatar said this is the most serious negotiation since the last ceasefire in November 2023 as they entered the final round yesterday. 

Mr Trump said: ‘I understand there’s been a handshake and they’re getting it finished and maybe by the end of the week, but it has to take place.’

Both sides have agreed in broad terms for an initial exchange of 33 hostages for hundreds of jailed terrorists over 43 days, with three hostages released per week.

But Hamas has yet to reveal how many of those captives are alive, which will affect the number of Palestinians are released from custody.

Relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza gather in front of the Ministry of Defense to hold demonstration demanding a ceasefire and a hostage swap agreement in Gaza yesterday

The demonstrators carried photos of their relatives and banners reading ‘Stop the war’

An Israeli Black Hawk military helicopter lands inside North Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas on January 14 

It is the first phase of a multi-stage deal that would end with all of the 98 hostages released, the IDF pulling out of the Gaza Strip and work commencing to rebuild the ruined territory.

Observers have suggested Mr Trump’s inauguration next Monday is seen as an unofficial deadline.

The President-elect’s incoming Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff attended the talks and was seen as vital in leaning on Israel in the early hours on Monday to secure a ‘breakthrough’.

Israel has reportedly agreed to withdraw from Gaza for the first time, stating they will do so once the last hostage is released. This had been a major sticking point previously as Hamas demanded they pull out before any captives are freed.

Arab officials said Mohammed Sinwar, the hardline leader of Hamas in Gaza and brother of slain former leader Yahya Sinwar, has agreed in principle to the terms of the deal yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported.

‘Today we are closer than any time in the past to a deal,’ said Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: ‘The ball is now in Hamas’s court. If Hamas accepts, the deal is ready to be concluded and implemented. I believe we will get a ceasefire.’

Israeli military vehicles move inside the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, on January 7

A Palestinian looks at a damaged residential building following an overnight Israeli strike in Deir al-Balah on January 8 

Once the finer details are worked out, the plan will be submitted to the Israeli cabinet for final approval.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition allies Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich threatened to resign and collapse the government, labelling the ‘terrible deal’ a ‘catastrophe’.

Ben-Gvir even boasted that he had repeatedly sabotaged previous truce talks. The Jewish extremists want to continue the war until Hamas is completely destroyed.

But the moderate opposition leader, Yair Lapid, has promised to step in and prevent the government collapsing to get the deal done.

A source told the Telegraph: ‘Lapid will offer a safety net to Netanyahu to prevent his government from falling after a deal is done, for an agreed amount of time.

‘In other words, there is no excuse [not to reach an agreement].’

Families of the 98 hostages now face an agonising wait to find out if their loved ones are alive and who will be released first.