[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":56,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6384712,"mediaKeyId","2121754-bf0f9239573adad25873c311e625dec9","parentId",2121754,"title","U.S. says Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal ready to begin implementation Sunday; Secretary urges full follow-through","audioSeconds",176,"startMs",291000,"endMs",467000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2121754-bf0f9239573adad25873c311e625dec9&start=291&end=467","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2121754-bf0f9239573adad25873c311e625dec9/thumbnail_291000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6384712/US-says-Gaza-ceasefire-and-hostage-deal-ready-to-begin-implementation-Sunday-Secretary-urges-full-follow-through","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6384712-fb3efbaeb3d3c6122512b0a0b65084a7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171599&Signature=X6gvDqUyNq8~6bxqSheBByTRcgs-fO3y4o2yqa~mNFfl29dwUSxeEewUJbufeZH1qtzMksHCyQffZ1uJvcp3xOW4Z7EboQcxTN6-ChcaMFF4OabCIB72zmUToe47Uxz3N05lbf0S0-y02SOcmmLcQnkaPJ-rDrlbYqPQoCSqbB-ILaPIq4qGxzh7QQik-t-0Ip0G7VH1KdLG9bwL2c-NIFA-f0QZWs0spHiGFaKbXH0Teo4ggqvSsKrKjlJk9pqSgzVmkZw-bWZl4OODntP17MCln8sg01xY0zRnD03d0I38K0ORc3P2EFoTHQsXxJ6-qtyiIXujHa1BewRLyk5iPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-01-16T21:42:40Z","article","The Secretary of State said on Jan. 16, 2025, that a U.S.-backed agreement to bring hostages home, halt fighting in Gaza and accelerate humanitarian aid is set to begin implementation on Sunday and that the United States expects the parties to follow through.

\"We now have that and we expect implementation of the agreement to begin on Sunday,\" the Secretary said, adding his thanks to mediators in Qatar and Egypt and to U.S. negotiators, including Jake Sullivan, Bill Burns and Brett McGurk, for their roles in the months of negotiation.

The announcement capped more than 15 months of diplomatic effort aimed at securing an initial ceasefire phase, the Secretary said. He described two immediate priorities: \"1st, to fully implement the ceasefire deal. And then 2nd, to finalize a plan . . . that provides for Gaza's transitional governance, its security, its reconstruction, and that can make the halt in fighting endure.\" The Secretary said implementation work will include arrangements to allow Israel to pull its forces out while ensuring Hamas cannot reconstitute military capability.

The Secretary described the deal as a step that will \"bring hostages home, that would stop the fighting, that would surge humanitarian aid to people who so desperately need it, that would create the space to conclude a permanent ceasefire.\" He quoted a hostage's daughter: \"I can't wait to see them come back to their families,\" using the remark to underscore the humanitarian stakes.

On U.S. citizens among the hostages, the Secretary said the agreement covered releases that include Americans and later in the briefing noted the deal's first phase addresses the immediate release of hostages (he referred to \"including 7 Americans, who remain\" in the context of the overall negotiation). He said U.S. and partner diplomacy isolated Hamas and built the international support needed to press the agreement forward.

The Secretary cautioned that detailed implementation steps remained to be finalized and that loose ends were still being addressed as the parties moved toward Sunday. He said U.S. teams were continuing talks with Qatari and Egyptian counterparts and other interlocutors to ensure the timing and operational phases are in place.

The Secretary framed the diplomatic outcome as a handoff to the incoming administration, saying the United States had \"laid a foundation for success, which we will hand over to the incoming administration.\" He said many implementation tasks will be carried out after the transition and emphasized that U.S. engagement will be required to sustain momentum.

Background: the Secretary called the development a \"moment of tremendous relief for Israelis and Palestinians alike,\" and said full, lasting success will require political courage, compromise and concrete plans for Gaza's governance and reconstruction.

Provenance: The topic appears repeatedly across the briefing, notably in the Secretary's prepared remarks and in responses to questions about implementation timing and U.S. diplomatic roles.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Secretary Blinken delivers remarks to the press from the press briefing room","oneSentenceSummary","The Secretary of State said on Jan. 16, 2025, that a U.S.-backed agreement to bring hostages home and halt fighting in Gaza is expected to begin implementation on Sunday.","taxTitle","US Department of State","taxId",9719,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":56,"_72":56,"_73":56},6384704,"Secretary says U.S. diplomacy rallied allies for Ukraine and other global challenges; stresses need for enduring deterrence",3024,468000,3492000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2121754-bf0f9239573adad25873c311e625dec9&start=468&end=3492","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2121754-bf0f9239573adad25873c311e625dec9/thumbnail_468000.jpg","/articles/6384704/Secretary-says-US-diplomacy-rallied-allies-for-Ukraine-and-other-global-challenges-stresses-need-for-enduring-deterrence","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6384704-31fa09c78ff4740f9ebe8f5de9aa9b55/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171599&Signature=bnckWg0U-cLWpuffv4xu7rqv~vqQtn5FmjY~ggwTAQZRVU575F~Y~HCOTWs-Py1Hv1sa-m8fTRBqMJE7OjUw0UVJy9cC7wOdABO4PfF06nhji~lbyhc8kwuy~TMHO3fDKQshxh87FgBzxu1ZWWXDxfeHL8lcwJXLL145vku5woWrdLUc~GtO-gftUBwyLEBHl0~OMIR-ZRVYhPpntYUs51FZtN7tPiPNpgd7WEopcw5IhpS4lJ6uz4xa8~DKd1qr13WiETp6zA0Po3A31fWPuYlNPur82z5RHzouBcVb01ESFs2KgCwvrm9nrUPQdC6HZcqDqf5OGFWVJX5wpvmHwA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Secretary of State said Jan. 16, 2025, that U.S. diplomacy has rallied roughly 50 countries to help Ukraine defend itself and that Ukraine has \"repelled Russia's invasion and took back half the territory it originally seized,\" crediting Western resolve and firepower for helping Ukraine hold ground.

\"As a result of some of our latest sanctions, Russian oil tankers are piling up along the Chinese coast unable to offload,\" the Secretary said, using the example to illustrate the economic pressure applied to Russia. He said extraordinary costs and export controls have constrained Russia's ability to sustain its war economy and that these measures are part of making Ukraine strong enough to negotiate from a position of strength.

The Secretary warned that any ceasefire with Russia will need built-in deterrence to prevent a future reattack: \"In Putin's mind, if there's a ceasefire, he's simply going to rest, refit, and then when he deems the moment right, reattack. So you have to have built into any ceasefire the effective deterrence necessary so that he doesn't reattack.\" He outlined options including continued military and economic pressure and coordination with European partners to ensure an enduring settlement.

On supply chains and the Panama Canal, the Secretary said the United States has a longstanding treaty and settled policy and that the focus should remain on supply-chain resilience. \"We have a we have a treaty. We have a settled policy, of many years, and that's not going to change,\" he said, adding that the U.S. has sought to diversify and strengthen supply chains to reduce dependence on adversarial sources.

The Secretary also addressed the case of Austin Tice, the U.S. citizen missing in Syria, saying \"Not a day goes by where we're not out there trying to, obviously find him, or get information about, what, what has become of him\" and that U.S. personnel are pursuing leads in Syria.

He framed the four years of the administration as a period of rebuilding alliances and partnerships to address challenges from China to fentanyl trafficking, citing a \"coalition of more than 160 countries to address the synthetic opioid crisis\" as an example.

Provenance: Remarks about Ukraine, sanctions on Russia, supply-chain resilience and Austin Tice occurred in the Secretary's prepared comments and follow-up answers to reporters about Ukraine and other strategic priorities.","The Secretary of State said Jan. 16, 2025, that U.S. diplomacy rallied about 50 countries to support Ukraine's defense and that sanctions and export controls have imposed significant costs on Russia.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":56,"_72":56,"_73":56},6384708,"State Department says assessing alleged international law violations in Gaza is complex; cites actions on settler abuses and Sudan",242,1851000,2093000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2121754-bf0f9239573adad25873c311e625dec9&start=1851&end=2093","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2121754-bf0f9239573adad25873c311e625dec9/thumbnail_1851000.jpg","/articles/6384708/State-Department-says-assessing-alleged-international-law-violations-in-Gaza-is-complex-cites-actions-on-settler-abuses-and-Sudan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6384708-b233a65c4f2f74c2de1411dd4d21745d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171599&Signature=fKLCYXBa6EUXH6yf0iKXrnoc5IhQrI7VvHWVVBiLNtmHsEQAaWRqYwswKKoW32VHL24mrvgdDVcuGvty2y0fxKNIQEuN2XWmLESW0j-epZTUDdqAW0iJzFcQHPiOKE52FJYFlwVD4qfjrOiK3Nai-gIeCbqW-0Q2M-T7CQbtUUZ3OIQyJ~QnjwyBhGWP7s-mnCtwk5BYa2O8z26TQes-cUYL19OXQElnRK4ZxDIU31ucFG~MWLJYNLf1Eleg-RC37840zwZ2hjLCTgkqbpLvGpfNOPrCHjXSH3hQDPI0GlxVWtigqwvLYt-a8~DwLCGyueztxijEhrV3Kqg2DhKJlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Secretary of State told reporters that the State Department takes its responsibility to assess alleged violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) seriously but that making definitive determinations in Gaza is \"an incredibly complicated thing to do, especially to do in real time.\" He said Gaza's densely populated environment and an enemy embedded among civilians complicate immediate legal conclusions.

\"We have a responsibility to do to assess in any place, whether, violations of international, humanitarian law are occurring, war crimes, other abuses of international law, international norms, international practice,\" the Secretary said. \"And that's what we continue to do every day whether it's in Middle East, Gaza, or in many other places around the world, and I'll come to that because your question, about Sudan goes there as well.\"

He said the United States also looks to domestic processes in other countries where possible, noting that \"in Israel itself, there are hundreds of cases that are being investigated. They have a process. They have procedures. They have rule of law, and we also look to them, to carry out, that process.\"

On the West Bank, the Secretary said the U.S. had taken actions in response to abuses by extremist settlers \"and for the first time, I've taken action against them.\" He did not provide further operational detail in the briefing.

Responding to a question about Sudan, the Secretary described the humanitarian situation there as \"the world's worst humanitarian crisis\" and said the U.S. has taken recent actions, including measures directed at the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). He said the RSF had a determination of genocide applied and that actions under consideration for the SAF fit the legal category of war crimes, saying there are \"gradations in these things\" and that determinations are made \"guided by the law\" and reviewed by lawyers and experts.

On accountability more broadly, the Secretary said the department continues to gather and assess information and will report conclusions where warranted. He also pointed to public reporting, including the NSM report, as part of the record the department relies on.

Provenance: The Secretary's remarks on legal assessments, on-the-ground investigative complexity in Gaza, the West Bank settler actions and Sudan appear during the Q&A portion when reporters asked about IHL determinations and about Sudan sanctions.","The Secretary of State said the State Department continues to investigate potential violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza but described the governing context there as uniquely complex; he also referenced U.S. actions related to extremist settler abuses in the West Bank and recent U.S. steps addressing Sudan's RSF and SAF abuses.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

U.S. says Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal ready to begin implementation Sunday; Secretary urges full follow-through

Secretary says U.S. diplomacy rallied allies for Ukraine and other global challenges; stresses need for enduring deterrence

State Department says assessing alleged international law violations in Gaza is complex; cites actions on settler abuses and Sudan