US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of the peace deal that will allow release of all hostages.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said:
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”
“All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!” he added.
Earlier in the day, the White House said the President will get a routine physical exam at Walter Reed hospital on Friday, then go to the Middle East shortly thereafter.
Meanwhile, CNN quoted a Qatari official as saying that the deal was reached tonight “on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.”
“The mediators announce that tonight an agreement was reached on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid. The details will be announced later,” Dr Majed Al Ansari, adviser to the Prime Minister, posted on X.
Netanyahu also said that Israel would bring all the hostages home from Gaza shortly. “With God’s help we will bring them all home.”
He also said that he will convene the government on Thursday to ratify the agreement with Hamas and return the hostages from Gaza.
The Palestinian group, Hamas, later released a statement saying: “We call on President Trump, the guarantor states of the agreement, and all Arab, Islamic, and international parties to compel the occupation government to fully implement its obligations under the agreement and to prevent it from evading or delaying the implementation of what has been agreed upon.”
During the ongoing talks for the end of the Gaza war in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh, a senior Hamas official said that negotiators for the group and Israel have exchanged lists of hostages and prisoners who would be freed if a ceasefire agreement is reached.
