Biden and Trump's Gaza ceasefire deal, Netanyahu delay and South African mine siege
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Today, what we know so far about the ceasefire deal in Gaza. What it means for Israeli hostage families, the population of a devastated Palestinian enclave, and the wider Middle East. And how a crackdown on illegal mining in South Africa has resulted in dozens of dead.

It's Thursday, January 16th. This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front lines in 10 minutes every weekday. I'm Jonah Green in New York. And I'm Tara Oaks in London. A painstakingly negotiated ceasefire deal for Gaza and a final hour holdup. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Hamas of making last-minute demands and going back on agreements.

it was unclear what impact the latest delay will have on the deal. Israel's acceptance of it will not be official until it's approved by the country's security cabinet and government. Last night, when the deal was announced, celebrations on the streets of Khan Yunis in Gaza. After news that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas had been reached.

Paving the way for an end to the fighting, a surge of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians, and a return of Israeli hostages held since October 7th, 2023. It's a complex, phased accord. Mediators say the first phase will take effect on Sunday, a six-week initial ceasefire with the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.

and the release of hostages taken by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. In Tel Aviv, the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza gathered to demand the release of all those who've been held, alive or dead. Ifat Calderon, whose cousin was taken hostage, said she felt not joy, but relief.

— We don't know the situation of all the hostages. I don't know if my cousin is still alive or not. — Negotiations on implementing the second phase of a deal will begin later. That stage is expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Nadella Maghrabi is our senior Palestinian correspondent based in Cairo.

Nadal, what's the current situation inside Gaza? The need for aid is enormous. According to United Nations to Palestinian official, Gaza will need at least a thousand trucks in like a day. But according to the deal, there will be 600 trucks of aid going

going into Gaza every day. It's not about food only. For most, we'll be in need for medications, we'll be in need for new hospitals. The city will be in need to rehabilitate the electricity network, the infrastructure, the sewage network. You know, like everything is

is destroyed and is in need for rebuilding. What does Hamas's future look like with this deal? So far, Israel and the United States do not want any role by Hamas in the day after in Gaza or to have any role in the government. But in the absence of an alternative, it seems that Hamas will have a role. And basically, it is still standing.

So what about the impact of this deal for the wider Middle East? Mayan Lubel is our senior correspondent in Jerusalem. In terms of the wider impact, it will likely quell tensions, possibly maybe open the door for a greater diplomatic deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. It's very early days and there's a big if. It's a phased deal. Stage two depends on stage one. And if it breaks down in the middle,

we could see the whole deal unraveling. And where does this leave Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu? Hardliners in Netanyahu's government have come out against the deal. One of them has threatened to bolt the government, but Netanyahu's government is not in imminent danger of falling.

There's broad support amongst the Israeli public as well. His political situation a few months ago was one that kind of put any kind of progress on the deal at risk. I think the game changer in the dynamics and the talks toward the deal was basically Trump being elected. And a lot of the players, Netanyahu, the mediators, they all had a vested interest basically in making Trump happy and getting the deal over the finishing line.

Both President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are claiming credit for the ceasefire deal that was months in the making. A senior Biden administration official did credit Trump's envoy with helping deliver the deal alongside Biden's representative. President Joe Biden's final Oval Office speech opened with a familiar message of unity as he looked to seal a legacy now overshadowed by Trump's return to the White House. But the tone turned. Today,

An oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy. Biden also warned of a tech industrial complex bringing an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation and threatening the free press.

Donald Trump's choice for Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed at her Senate confirmation hearing not to use the U.S. Justice Department to target people based on their politics. There will never be an enemies list within the Department of Justice. Though she dodged direct questions about investigating people scorned by the president-elect.

The Senate also probed Senator Marco Rubio, Trump's nominee to be Secretary of State. Rubio promised a robust foreign policy based on American interests. TikTok plans to shut U.S. operations of its social media app on Sunday when a federal ban is set to take effect. It's according to people familiar with the matter. The Washington Post reported that Trump is considering issuing an executive order to suspend enforcement of the shutdown for 60 to 90 days.

The paper did not say how Trump could legally do so. Red flag warnings advising of extreme wildlife danger have expired across the Los Angeles region. The National Weather Service says the respite will be short when ideal fire conditions of high winds and low humidity pick back up again on Sunday.

Wall Street's main indexes soared on Wednesday, with the benchmark S&P 500 touching a one-week high, driven by lower-than-expected December core inflation data and robust quarterly earnings from major U.S. banks.

US Finance Editor, Nanan Nguyen. Well, the banks actually just reported a blockbuster quarter, mostly because investment banking has done much better. Deals are starting to return to the markets. Companies are issuing debt and equity. And generally, there is a more optimistic tone as the Trump administration takes office. People are expecting a more pro-business, pro-growth policy from the Trump administration.

At least 78 bodies have been pulled from a South African mine following a months-long state crackdown on illegal mining. A court-ordered rescue operation to clear the Stilfontein mine has ended a standoff in which police withheld food and water from 200 miners for months.

Our reporter Siabonga Sishi was at the mine. It's quite tense. Every day you get people who go there with the hope that their loved one will surface alive. They're quite angry. They believe that the government has been trailing their feet in rescuing these guys. They are accusing the government of mass murder. Some say the government must accept that they have blood in their hands.

Since the mine rescue has started, you can actually see when they have their life illegal miners. You can tell that they are physically weak. But then on the other side, you see all these body bags. And so these family members are just hoping that my loved one has used the exit on the one side. I just could not take a risk anymore. What if...

He's still alive. I could not just gamble with his life. One of the women that I met at the mine, her name is Zinzi Chom, actually took the government to court to resume the operations. So she's coming there with the hope that the Prada will surface, but unfortunately that has not happened.

Why is the government taking such an extreme stance at this mine? This operation called Operation Valamkoti, they identify areas where these abandoned shafts are being used by illegal miners and they seal them up. So we've been seeing these nodes coming up to surface.

These guys asking for food. The ones that were actually extracted in the past, they've appeared in court facing various charges. But will we see an illegal mining? I don't think so. The indication from the police, if there isn't anybody underground, the rescue operation will come to an end, but Operation Valamkoti will not end.

The South African government has defended the siege as part of a necessary crackdown on illegal mining. The police have also denied blocking the miners' exit. They say more than 1,500 miners did get out by their own means between the start of the siege in August and the rescue operation, which began on Monday. And for today's recommended read, a preview of the annual World Economic Forum in Davos.

Armed conflict is a top risk in 2025, according to a WEF report. And it's a stark reminder of the deepening global divisions as government and business leaders gather in the Swiss Alps next week. There's a link to that story in the pod description. For more on any of the stories from today, check out Reuters.com or the Reuters app. Don't forget to follow us on your favorite podcast player. We'll be back tomorrow with our daily headline show.