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

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.