When it was all mentioned and carried out, the deal to launch a number of the hostages held by Hamas got here down to 2 vital cellphone calls in the end forcing all sides to make a troublesome concession.

The Israelis have been insisting that it was not sufficient to free simply 50 of the roughly 240 hostages. They needed to have extra, they mentioned. At that time, President Biden needed to discuss Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel into accepting what was on the desk after which maintain working to get better the remaining.

As for Hamas, based on senior administration officers, its leaders have been demanding that the pause in preventing included into the settlement final 5 days, regardless that the Israelis refused to conform to greater than 4. Mr. Biden instructed the emir of Qatar, who was serving because the middleman with Hamas, that 4 was all they might get for now.

The trail to the hostage deal was painful and painstaking, one marked by fitful progress, deep distrust, horrible decisions and moments when the entire thing was on the verge of unraveling. Neither aspect obtained precisely what it needed. But when the settlement is carried out efficiently over the subsequent few days — and that’s nonetheless an essential if — it might function a template for additional negotiations to free extra of the hostages and lengthen the momentary cease-fire.

“Final night time’s deal is a testomony to the tireless diplomacy and willpower of many devoted people throughout the US authorities to deliver Individuals residence,” Mr. Biden mentioned on Wednesday on X, the platform previously referred to as Twitter. “Now, it’s essential that every one points are absolutely applied.”

This account relies on senior Biden administration officers, who spoke on situation of anonymity to keep away from disrupting the channels of communication.

The trouble to free the hostages extends again to the hours following the terrorist assault of Oct. 7, when Hamas gunmen killed about 1,200 individuals and captured the opposite 240.

Shortly after the assault, the federal government of Qatar, a small Gulf emirate that hosts some Hamas leaders however maintains shut relations with the US, approached the White Home with details about the hostages and prompt the opportunity of a deal to win their launch. The Qataris requested {that a} small group of U.S. officers work secretly with them and the Israelis.

Jake Sullivan, the president’s nationwide safety adviser, directed Brett McGurk, the White Home Center East coordinator, and Joshua Geltzer, then the deputy homeland safety adviser who has since turn into the highest lawyer for the Nationwide Safety Council, to take the lead. To protect secrecy, different companies have been saved at nighttime concerning the initiative.

Mr. McGurk, who has vast contacts within the area, held early morning cellphone calls every day with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, after which briefed Mr. Sullivan, who saved Mr. Biden knowledgeable. Mr. Sullivan stayed in contact with Ron Dermer and Tzachi Hanegbi, two of Mr. Netanyahu’s closest advisers.

The difficulty was private for Mr. Biden, who met with households of Individuals who have been believed to be among the many hostages on a Zoom name on Oct. 13. Mr. Biden prolonged the scheduled time for the decision so every household would have an opportunity to speak about their lacking family members. Administration officers who have been within the Oval Workplace or on the road described it as one of the crucial agonizing moments of the Biden presidency.

On Oct. 23, the White Home negotiations with Qatar led to the launch of two Americans, Natalie and Judith Raanan, with Mr. Sullivan, Mr. McGurk and Jon Finer, the deputy nationwide safety adviser, monitoring what turned out to be a multihour journey out of Gaza in actual time from the West Wing. Their launch emboldened Mr. Biden and his staff to imagine that the Qatar channel might result in the discharge of extra hostages.

The Israelis delegated authority to barter to David Barnea, the director of Mossad, the Israeli spy company. Mr. Barnea started to talk usually with William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director, concerning the contours of a deal. Mr. Biden spoke with Mr. Netanyahu on Oct. 20, 22, 23 and 25, every time with the hostages a key subject of the dialog.

Hamas obtained phrase to the Individuals on Oct. 25 that it had agreed to the parameters of a deal to launch the ladies and kids among the many hostages, so long as there was a delay of a deliberate Israeli floor invasion into Gaza. However the Israelis didn’t view the deal as agency sufficient to carry again the invasion. Amongst different issues, Hamas had not offered any proof that the hostages have been nonetheless alive.

However the Israelis tailored their floor invasion to be phased in a approach that might permit for a pause in preventing if a deal got here collectively, based on U.S. officers. Over the subsequent three weeks, as Israeli forces moved into Gaza, negotiations continued with Qatar, in addition to Egypt.

At one level after Mr. McGurk obtained off the cellphone with Qatar’s prime minister, Mr. Biden insisted he needed to speak with the emir himself. The decision, which was not introduced publicly, helped form a deal that was coming collectively to free ladies and kids within the first section as a part of what can be a number of phases of launch in alternate for the discharge of Palestinians held prisoner by the Israelis.

The Israelis insisted that the primary launch embrace all ladies and kids and demanded proof of life or figuring out data. Hamas responded by saying it might assure that fifty hostages can be liberated within the first section however refused to provide a listing and even the standards it was utilizing to find out who can be launched. On Nov. 9, Mr. Burns met in Doha, the Qatari capital, with Sheikh Tamim, the emir, and Mr. Barnea, the Mossad chief, to undergo the texts of the rising association.

Mr. Biden referred to as Sheikh Tamim three days later and mentioned “sufficient was sufficient,” based on U.S. officers. The Individuals and Israelis wanted the names or clear figuring out data for the 50 hostages who can be launched. With out that, Mr. Biden instructed the emir, there was no foundation to proceed. Quickly after, Hamas produced figuring out standards for the 50, though the Israelis and Individuals believed the standards would come with extra than simply 50.

Mr. Sullivan met the subsequent day on the White Home with households of Individuals being held hostage to reassure all of them was being carried out to safe their freedom.

A day later, Mr. Biden spoke with Mr. Netanyahu, who was nonetheless urgent for greater than 50 hostages. The president urged that he take the deal after which collectively they might proceed to work to free the remaining in future phases. The prime minister in the end agreed, and Mr. Dermer, his adviser, later referred to as Mr. Sullivan to stipulate the system most well-liked by Israel’s battle cupboard.

Mr. McGurk noticed Mr. Netanyahu that very same day in Israel. Strolling out of a tough assembly, the prime minister grabbed Mr. McGurk’s arm. “We’d like this deal,” Mr. Netanyahu mentioned, and implored Mr. McGurk to have the president name Sheikh Tamim on the ultimate phrases.

Hours later, because the deal appeared to be coming collectively, the talks abruptly halted as communications went darkish in Gaza and there was no line to Hamas. As soon as communications have been restored, Hamas broke off the talks, citing the Israeli assault on Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, a website the Israelis and Individuals say is utilized by Hamas as a army outpost. Hamas insisted that Israeli forces depart the hospital with out looking the grounds. Israel refused however despatched phrase that it might maintain the hospital operating.

Talks then resumed. Mr. Biden, who was in San Francisco for unrelated conferences with Asian-Pacific leaders, referred to as Sheikh Tamim on Friday and instructed him this was the final probability and “time was up,” as a U.S. official put it. Hamas needed a five-day pause in preventing, however the president instructed him Israel would settle for solely 4 and Hamas ought to bow to that.

Mr. McGurk, who was listening in on the decision from the Center East, met with Sheikh Tamim in Doha the subsequent day to go over the textual content of the deal. They patched in Mr. Burns by cellphone after he spoke with Mossad. The six-page deal envisioned ladies and kids popping out in a primary section, together with three Individuals, however anticipated future releases. The emir handed the proposal to Hamas late that night time.

In Cairo the subsequent morning, Mr. McGurk was assembly with Abbas Kamel, the pinnacle of Egyptian intelligence, when a U.S. aide introduced a message from Hamas leaders accepting practically all the phrases. Over the course of the subsequent few days, closing particulars have been labored out. On Tuesday morning, Hamas knowledgeable Qatar that it had authorised the deal. Israel’s authorities met for seven hours that night time and signed off, too.

“Right now’s deal ought to deliver residence further American hostages,” Mr. Biden mentioned in a press release shortly earlier than midnight on the East Coast on Tuesday, “and I can’t cease till they’re all launched.”