JAKARTA - Donald Trump said on Wednesday the President-elect of the United States would use the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip as a momentum to expand the Abrahamic Agreement, a US-backed agreement reached during the first term of office of the elected president to normalize Israel's relations with several Arab countries.

Trump, who repeatedly threatened there would be a "payout" if the hostages were not released before his inauguration on January 20, said he was "very happy the American and Israeli hostages would return home".

"With this agreement, my National Security team, through the efforts of the Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and our allies to ensure Gaza is never again a terrorist shelter," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

He said he would take advantage of the ceasefire's momentum to expand the Abrahamic Agreement, which normalizes Israel's relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.

As previously reported, negotiators reached a gradual agreement on Wednesday to end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas after 15 months of conflict since October 7, 2023, sparking tensions in the Middle East.

The deal includes the gradual release of hostages arrested by Hamas-led militants, in exchange for Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said there would be a "follow-up mechanism" consisting of representatives from the United States, Qatar and Egypt who will headquarter in Cairo, responsible for monitoring the implementation of the hostage release agreement and the ceasefire.

The mechanism is expected to take effect on Sunday when the ceasefire begins, Al Thani told a news conference announcing the deal, reported by The Times of Israel.

The latest conflict in Gaza broke out on October 15, 2023, when a Palestinian militant group led by Hamas attacked Israel's southern region, leaving 1,200 people dead and 250 others hostage, according to Israeli calculations.

Yesterday, medical authorities in Gaza confirmed that the death toll from Palestine since the conflict broke out has reached 46,707 people and 110,265 injured, the majority of children and women, quoted from WAFA.


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