Trump: Israel, Hamas have agreed to ‘first phase’ of US peace plan
US 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, in a major breakthrough in the two-year-old war.
“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.
Hamas plans to release all 20 living hostages this weekend, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press (AP), while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media, “With God’s help we will bring them all home.”
Hamas said separately that the deal would ensure the withdrawal of Israeli troops as well as allow for the entry of aid and exchange of hostages and prisoners.
Momentous development
The deceased hostages will come out in a later stage in phases. The Israeli army will move out of 70 percent of the area, they said.
It was not immediately clear whether the parties had made any progress on thornier questions about the future of the conflict, including whether Hamas will demilitarize, as Trump has demanded, and eventual governance of the war-torn territory.
But the agreement nonetheless marked the most momentous development since a deal in January and February that involved the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu said he would convene the government tomorrow in order to approve the deal.
“I thank President Trump and his team from the bottom of my heart for their commitment to this sacred mission of freeing our hostages,” Netanyahu said.
Trump was pleased with Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff for their work to get the first phase of the agreement closed after arriving in Egypt on earlier on Wednesday, according to a person who has briefed on the negotiations and spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the delicate negotiations.
In the lead-up to Wednesday’s announcement, Israeli officials were pushing back on inclusion of Marwan Barghouti, the most prominent Palestinian prisoner who is serving five life sentences in an Israeli jail, the person added.
Ending the war
Israeli officials made clear to the United States that the release of Barghouti would set off the far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition.
It was not immediately clear which Palestinian prisoners, including Barghouti, will be included in the first phase of the deal.
Hamas said 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 Trump. Hamas called on Trump and the mediators to ensure that Israel implements all the provisions agreed upon without delay or changes.
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 spokesperson, 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.”
