In a significant development on Wednesday, Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan — a ceasefire and hostage exchange — potentially paving the way to end the devastating two-year conflict that has shaken the Middle East.
Just a day after the second anniversary of Hamas militants’ cross-border attack that triggered Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza, indirect talks in Egypt yielded an agreement on the initial stage of Trump’s 20-point framework to bring peace to the Palestinian enclave.
The accord, if fully implemented, would bring the two sides closer than any previous effort to halt a war that had evolved into a regional conflict, drawing in countries such as Iran, Yemen and Lebanon, deepened Israel’s international isolation and reshaped the Middle East.
But the deal announced by Trump late on Wednesday was short on detail and left many unresolved questions that could still lead to its collapse, as has happened with previous peace efforts.
Successful completion of the deal would mark a significant foreign policy achievement for the Republican president, who had campaigned on bringing peace to major world conflicts but has struggled to swiftly deliver, both in Gaza and on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
‘We Will Bring Them Home’
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump said on Truth Social.
“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 added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a written statement, referring to the hostages held by Hamas: “With God’s help we will bring them all home.” He said he would convene his government on Thursday to approve the agreement.
Hamas confirmed it had reached an agreement to end the war, saying the deal includes an Israeli withdrawal from the enclave and a hostage-prisoner exchange. But the group called on Trump and guarantor states to ensure Israel fully implements the ceasefire, it added in a statement.
Trump said earlier that a deal was almost done and that he may travel to Egypt this weekend, possibly leaving as soon as Saturday.
“All Parties will be treated fairly!” he said on Truth Social. “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.”
Senior envoys from the US, Qatar and Turkey had joined the talks, apparently adding momentum to discussions launched on Monday in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Trump sent his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Israel was represented by Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Netanyahu.
Despite the hopes raised for ending the war, crucial details are yet to be spelled out, including the timing, a post-war administration for the Gaza Strip and the fate of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Gaza authorities say more than 67,000 people have been killed and much of the enclave has been flattened since Israel began its military response to the Hamas cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage back to Gaza, according to Israeli officials, with 20 of the 48 hostages still held believed to be alive.
Hostage Release Expected In Days
A Hamas source stated that living hostages would be released within 72 hours of Israeli approval, though recovering the bodies of around 28 dead hostages may take longer. Israel expects the hostage release to begin on Saturday.
Prime Minister Netanyahu and US President Trump, who had pushed for the deal, spoke and hailed the agreement as a historic achievement, with Netanyahu inviting Trump to address Israel’s parliament.
While Netanyahu faces growing domestic pressure to end the war, he also risks losing support from far-right coalition members if he concedes too much to the Palestinians.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for all sides to abide fully by the terms on the hostage agreement. “Immediate and unimpeded entry of humanitarian supplies and essential commercial materials into Gaza must be ensured. The suffering must end,” he said in a statement.
Hamas said earlier on Wednesday it had handed over its lists of the hostages it held and the Palestinian prisoners held by Israel that it wanted to be exchanged.
Hamas has submitted a list of Palestinian prisoners it wants freed, including high-profile figures like Marwan al-Barghouti, a senior Fatah leader, and Ahmed Saadat, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine — both serving multiple life sentences for attacks that killed Israelis. Their release had previously been ruled out in past ceasefire deals.
Hamas continues to reject Israel’s demand to disarm, with a Palestinian source stating the group will not give up its weapons while Israeli forces remain on Palestinian land. Major sticking points in the negotiations include the timeline and mechanism for Israeli withdrawal, which Hamas wants clearly tied to the release of hostages and guarantees of a full military pullout.
Meanwhile, Israel has scaled back its military operations in Gaza at Trump’s request, though airstrikes continue. Gaza health officials reported eight deaths from Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours — the lowest daily toll in weeks, after a month of daily casualties nearly ten times higher.
Demand For Palestinian State
The next phase of Trump’s plan calls for an international body led by Trump and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to play a role in Gaza’s post-war administration. Arab countries which back the plan say it must lead to eventual independence for a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu says will never happen.
There is no clear indication who will rule Gaza when the war ends. Netanyahu, Trump, Western and Arab states have ruled out a role for Hamas, which has run Gaza since driving out Palestinian rivals in 2007.
Hamas has said it would relinquish Gaza governance only to a Palestinian technocrat government supervised by the Palestinian Authority and backed by Arab and Muslim countries. It rejects any role for Blair or foreign rule of Gaza.
Global outrage has mounted against Israel’s assault. Multiple rights experts, scholars and a UN inquiry say it amounts to genocide. Israel calls its actions self-defence after the 2023 Hamas attack.
(With inputs from Reuters)
