U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners.
“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,” Trump wrote.
The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people, many of them civilians. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead, devastated Gaza and upended global politics. Negotiators have been meeting in Egypt for days to hash out a Trump-backed peace plan.
Hamas says a deal has been reached to end the war in Gaza that will ensure the withdrawal of Israeli troops as well as the entry of aid and the exchange of hostages and prisoners.
The group said in a statement the deal came after “responsible and serious negotiations” over the proposal by President Donald Trump. Hamas called on Trump and the mediators to ensure that Israel implements all the provisions agreed upon without delay or changes.
Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesman says Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
The agreement “will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid,” said Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman, speaking on behalf of the mediators of the deal. He said the details will be announced later.
The Hostages Families Forum, a grassroots organization representing many of the hostage families, said it received the news of a ceasefire with “excitement, anticipation, and apprehension.”
The Forum called on the Israeli government to immediately convene to approve the deal, and praised Trump for his “commitment and determination that led to this historic breakthrough.”
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners.
“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,” Trump wrote late Wednesday.
