A hostage and ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel was reached Wednesday, following more than 15 months of extraordinary bloodshed and violence in Gaza, President Joe Biden said Wednesday. Implementation of the agreement is set to start Sunday, according to Qatar’s Prime Minister. The agreement, which requires ratification by a vote of Israel’s cabinet, follows an intense period of meetings and calls over the past several days, including by Biden to the leaders of Israel and mediating partners Qatar and Egypt. Steve Witkoff, President-elect Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, has also played an instrumental role, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend to express Trump’s interest in attaining a deal before his inauguration on Monday.