Secrecy and public anger: how the Israel/Hamas ceasefire deal came about

Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv to urge Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the release of the hostages on 18 November. ‘I think the families did the heavy lifting,’ said the president of the US/Middle East Project. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The hostage deal that was finally agreed by the Israeli cabinet in the early hours of Wednesday was very similar in outline to what was on the table a month ago, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

In the intervening weeks, a lot has happened to turn the proposal to exchange women and children prisoners during a ceasefire into a near-reality.