LIVE: Joe Biden confirms Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal to begin this weekend

Hamas has said reaching an agreement the ceasefire in Gaza represents “a crucial turning point” in its “struggle against the enemy.”

“The agreement to stop the aggression against Gaza is an achievement for our people, our resistance, our nation, and the free people of the world. It marks a crucial turning point in the struggle against the enemy, on the path to achieving our people’s goals of liberation and return,” Hamas said in a statement.

The group thanked the mediating countries “who made great efforts to reach this agreement, especially Qatar and Egypt."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the ceasefire agreement, emphasising that the “priority now must be to ease the tremendous suffering caused by this conflict”.

“The United Nations stands ready to support the implementation of this deal and scale up the delivery of sustained humanitarian relief to the countless Palestinians who continue to suffer,” he said.

During his press conference at the White House, Biden was asked how much credit Trump's administration deserved for reaching the ceasefire deal.

The outgoing president replied: “this is the exact framework of the deal I proposed back in May. Exact.”

He said that US support for Israel helped them weaken Hamas and put pressure on them to accept a ceasefire deal.

He said his team was instructed to “coordinate closely” Trump's administration “to make sure we’re all speaking with the same voice, because that’s what American presidents do.”

But when he turned to leave the room, a reported called out to him:“Who deserves credit for this Mr President, you or Trump?”

Turning to look back, Biden replied: “Is that a joke?”

Meanwhile, Qatar's PM praised the cooperation between the outgoing and incoming presidents.

He said: "What we have seen from the US in the past few days, seeing a collaboration transcending both administrations was a clear demonstration of the commitment from the us to reach that deal.

He then thanked both Biden and Trump's envoys who attended negotiations, who were in the room as he spoke, saying: "they played a vital role in reaching to this moment."

The US and Qatar have confirmed that a ceasefire deal has been agreed by Israel and Hamas, set to be implemented on Sunday, January 19.

But Israeli lawmakers still have to vote on the deal, and it is hard to predict which way that vote will go.

Netanyahu is under immense pressure from many sources, including from his own coalition government.

Members on the far-right wing of his government, including Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, have publicly criticised the ceasefire deal, instead supporting a continued war on gaza.

Ben-Gvir has already announced he will vote against the deal, and he is reportedly been trying to convince Smotrich to resign over it.

Meanwhile, Israelis all over the country are protesting both for and against the deal every night.

So, while it seems the ceasefire deal might finally get over the line, the Knesset vote tomorrow will be crucial.

The brother-in-law of Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi has said reports of an Israel-Hamas ceasefire are "cautiously optimistic" but that he refuses to get carried away after "so many false dawns". 

Stephen Brisley, whose sister Lianne Sharabi was also murdered with her daughters Noiya and Yahel, told the PA news agency: "(It is) difficult to process after waiting so long for this. When it finally comes or seems to have come, it's kind of difficult to know how to react and how to feel really, but (I am) obviously cautiously optimistic." 

Mr Brisley said he had been "glued" to news outlets both in Gaza and Israel over the last 48 hours before reports intensified on Wednesday. 

He said: "I think this afternoon, when it's really landed, it's still difficult to believe that it's happening. Because there have been so many false dawns, there's still that part of me that isn't really allowing myself to believe it still, despite the fact that it's been formally announced. 

"We still don't know exactly what the framework of it is, exactly what the rate is they'll be released, in what order, and if it is spread out over the course of six weeks. Six weeks is a long time, a lot can happen. 

"There are still many moving parts that could very easily fall apart, but obviously it is that bit of joy that we've been looking, for that light at the end of the tunnel."

Full statement by Husam Zomlot, Palestinian ambassador to the UK.

"We breathe a huge sigh of relief of a possible ceasefire deal after 15 months of mass murder and total devastation in Gaza. 

"The world will see the magnitude of Israel’s criminal and genocidal aggression. 

"It will see the price of the collective failure to stop a genocide. 

"Now let the journey of healing begin, starting with burying our dead, attending to our wounded, providing for basic human needs and rebuilding livelihoods. 

"The world must not fail us again."

President Joe Biden is speaking at a press conference on the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. 

The US president,  who will serve the last day of his presidency on Monday, says the deal consists of three phases, and Hamas will release American hostages in the first phase. 

Phase two will bring about a "permanent end to the war", Biden says, but many details still need to be negotiated during the initial ceasefire.

He confirms that if those negotiations take longer than six weeks, the ceasefire will remain in place for longer.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal is "long-overdue news" and paid tribute to "the British people who were murdered by Hamas" adding: "We will continue to mourn and remember them."

The full statement by the Prime Minister reads:

“After months of devastating bloodshed and countless lives lost, this is the long-overdue news that the Israeli and Palestinian people have desperately been waiting for. They have borne the brunt of this conflict – triggered by the brutal terrorists of Hamas, who committed the deadliest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust on October 7th, 2023.

“The hostages, who were brutally ripped from their homes on that day and held captive in unimaginable conditions ever since, can now finally return to their families. But we should also use this moment to pay tribute to those who won’t make it home – including the British people who were murdered by Hamas. We will continue to mourn and remember them.

“For the innocent Palestinians whose homes turned into a warzone overnight and the many who have lost their lives, this ceasefire must allow for a huge surge in humanitarian aid, which is so desperately needed to end the suffering in Gaza. And then our attention must turn to how we secure a permanently better future for the Israeli and Palestinian people – grounded in a two-state solution that will guarantee security and stability for Israel, alongside a sovereign and viable Palestine state.

“The UK and its allies will continue to be at the forefront of these crucial efforts to break the cycle of violence and secure long-term peace in the Middle East.”

 Images emerging from southern Gaza show Palestinians taking to the streets as they celebrate a potential ceasefire.

Crowded around a solitary television screen, Palestinians young and old awaited news - as others hugged and cheered in pre-emptive celebration.