US President Donald Trump announced early on Thursday that Israel and Hamas have agreed and “signed off” on the first phase of his Gaza peace plan. The announcement came after negotiators from both sides completed the third day of indirect peace talks in Egypt.
In a post on his own social media platform, Truth Social, Trump shared that both sides have accepted a deal put forward by his administration, representing the most significant breakthrough in months in the devastating war in Gaza, which entered its third year just a few days ago.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of our peace plan,” wrote Trump.
The first phase of Trump’s “21-point peace plan” calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, as well as the release of all remaining hostages under captivity in Gaza, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention centres.
“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 stressed that the deal, which he called “historic”, will ensure the “fair treatment” of all involved parties. The US president noted that the deal was facilitated via US regional allies, including Qatar, Egypt and Turkey.
“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!”
Israel and Hamas separately confirmed the contours of the deal. It calls for Hamas to release all 20 living hostages in the coming days, as well as the bodies of an additional 28 deceased hostages.
In turn, the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza, immediately halt strikes on the enclave and “prepare the climate” for extensive humanitarian aid operations across the Strip, to replenish the local population who have struggled with dire shortages of basic necessities for months.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “with God’s help we will bring them all home,” in a post on X shortly after Trump’s announcement.
In a separate post, the Israeli premier noted that the deal is a “national and moral victory for the State of Israel” and praised it as “diplomatic success”.
“From the beginning, I made it clear: we will not rest until all our hostages return and all our goals are achieved,” he continued.
“Through steadfast resolve, powerful military action, and the great efforts of our great friend and ally President Trump, we have reached this critical turning point.”
For its part, Hamas called on Trump and the mediators to ensure that Israel implements “without disavowal or delay” a deal that it said would require the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the entry of aid into the territory and the exchange of prisoners for hostages.
Earlier on Monday, Hamas said it would not release the remaining hostages without a lasting ceasefire and guarantees that the war would not resume after they are freed. It’s unclear whether Israel agreed to provide such guarantees at this point.
It was also unclear from Trump’s announcement how much progress has been made on the more divisive aspects of his plan, such as Hamas’ disarmament — a demand the group has repeatedly refused to agree to, and the appointment of a foreign provisional government in Gaza.
The war started after Hamas staged an attack on southern Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages on 7 October 2023.
Israel responded with a military offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 67,183 Palestinians across two years of attacks, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, whose figures do not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties.
