Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, he announced Wednesday, calling it a “historic and unprecedented” step toward putting an end to the two-year-old conflict.
Trump said that once negotiations on his 20-point peace plan in Egypt produced a settlement, the Palestinian militant group Hamas would free all prisoners and Israel would withdraw its forces to a predetermined line.
On his Truth Social network, Trump stated, “I am excited to share that Israel and Hamas have both approved 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.”
“BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!” Trump added after thanking mediators Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey.
Egyptian state-linked media stated that mediators said Israel and Hamas had agreed on an exchange of hostages and prisoners as well as the entry of assistance into Gaza.
According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he will return the hostages “with God’s help.”
Earlier this week, Trump stated that a deal was “very close” and that he might visit the Middle East.
AFP reporters witnessed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio abruptly interrupt a White House event to give Trump an urgent message regarding the status of the negotiations in Egypt.
Trump stated, “I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday,” and that while he was “most likely” to visit Egypt, he would also think about visiting Gaza, which is ravaged by conflict.
Trump’s plan called for a truce, the disarmament of Hamas, the release of all hostages held in Gaza, and a phased Israeli pullout from the region.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, arrived at the negotiations earlier.
“Optimism wins.”
An AFP contributor reported that there was a sense of excitement leading up to the announcement in the southern Gazan coastal community of Al-Mawasi as night set. There were happy cries of “Allahu akbar,” which means “God is the greatest,” and some celebratory gunfire.
Having been relocated from northern Gaza, Mohammed Zamlot, 50, stated, “We’re closely following every bit of news about the negotiations and the ceasefire.”
The truce’s initial phase saw Hamas submitting a list of Palestinian prisoners it wanted freed from Israeli prisons.
The remaining 47 hostages, both alive and dead, who were taken during Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that started the conflict are expected to be released in return.
The prime minister of Qatar and the head of Turkey’s intelligence were also anticipated to attend the Wednesday meetings.
Delegations from Islamic Jihad, which has also held some of the hostages in Gaza, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine will join it, according to Hamas.
The talks were held against the backdrop of the second anniversary of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which claimed 1,219 lives, primarily civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli statistics.
In addition, militants captured 251 people in Gaza, where 47 are still alive, including 25 the Israeli military claims are dead.
The health ministry in the Hamas-controlled region of Gaza reports that Israel’s military operation has killed at least 67,183 people, data that the UN finds credible.
Although the data does not differentiate between fighters and civilians, it does show that women and children make up over half of the fatalities.
According to the territory’s civil defense service, a rescue group under Hamas control, the bombing of Gaza continued in the hours leading up to the agreement. Multiple explosions were heard in the morning, according to an AFP journalist in Israel, close to the Gaza border.
Demonstrations and inmates
Since a large portion of Gaza has been leveled, a UN-declared famine is developing, and Israeli captive families are still waiting for their loved ones to return, international pressure to end the conflict has increased.
The identities of the Palestinian detainees that Hamas demanded were crucial to the talks.
According to media outlets connected to the Egyptian government, the organization wished to see the release of prominent convict Marwan Barghouti, who is a member of the Fatah movement, Hamas’s competitor.
“Guarantees from President Trump and the sponsor countries that the war will end once and for all” is another statement made by Hamas’s chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya.
