Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a United States–brokered peace plan to pause fighting in Gaza and begin releasing hostages and prisoners, US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, marking what could be the most significant breakthrough in efforts to end the two-year-long conflict.
“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 on social media. “All Parties will be treated fairly!”
The announcement came just a day after the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. The breakthrough was achieved following indirect negotiations in Egypt on the first stage of Trump’s 20-point peace framework.
Delegates from the United States, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar participated in the discussions aimed at finalising the hostages-for-ceasefire arrangement.
Hamas confirmed the agreement in a statement on Thursday, saying it had reached an understanding to end the war in Gaza.
The group said the deal included an Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave and a comprehensive hostage-prisoner exchange. It also urged Trump and the guarantor states to ensure that Israel fully complies with the ceasefire terms.
The exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners will take place within 72 hours of the deal’s implementation. Hamas is expected to release all 20 living hostages this weekend in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees.
However, sources said several critical issues remain unresolved, including the future governance of Gaza and the question of Hamas’s demilitarisation — a key demand of President Trump’s peace plan. Negotiations on these matters are set to continue in Cairo, shaping the next phases of the agreement.
Speaking earlier in Washington, Trump said he may travel to Egypt this weekend as senior officials from the US and Qatar continue talks to finalise the hostages-for-ceasefire deal.
Also Read : Israel marks two years since deadly Hamas attack in 2023
“A deal to end the Gaza war is very close,” he said, adding that the agreement could “bring lasting peace” to the region. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the announcement, calling it “a great day for Israel.”
“Tomorrow I will convene the government to approve the agreement and bring all our dear hostages home,” Netanyahu wrote on X.
He also thanked Israel’s security forces and expressed deep gratitude to Trump for his mediation efforts. “I thank from the depths of my heart President Trump and his team for their mobilisation for this sacred mission of releasing our hostages,” he said.
An Israeli government spokesperson told Reuters that Israel expects the first hostages to be released on Saturday but declined to confirm whether all 48 remaining hostages both living and deceased would be returned at once.
The agreement marks the first tangible progress towards ending the war that began after Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 assault on Israel, which left more than 1,200 people dead, mostly civilians. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has since killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, flattened much of Gaza, and displaced nearly two million residents.
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