~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦!!! 𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗦, 𝗜𝗦𝗥𝗔𝗘𝗟 𝗔𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘!!

DOHA/JERUSALEM, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Israel and Hamas agreed to a deal to halt fighting in Gaza and exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, an official briefed on the deal told Reuters on Wednesday, opening the way to a possible end to a 15-month war that has upended the Middle East.

The agreement follows months of on-off negotiations brokered by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with the backing of the United States, and came just ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.