Trump says Israel and Hamas sign off first phase of Gaza peace plan

Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of the US-proposed Gaza plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners.

“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump said in a post 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.

Hamas said the deal would ensure the withdrawal of Israeli troops, as well as allow for the entry of aid and exchange of hostages and prisoners.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the agreement as a “historic achievement” and 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.

He also said “with God’s help we will bring them all home,” referring to the hostages still held by Hamas. 

Hostages could be released in days

An Israeli government spokesperson said they expected the hostages to start being released on Saturday, while other reports suggested it could happen on Monday.

The agreement will head to the Israeli Cabinet on Thursday for its approval, and once that occurs, Israeli forces will begin withdrawing to the agreed upon boundary, a senior White House official told the Associated Press.

Hamas would then have 72 hours to release hostages.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the agreement while urging all parties to “abide fully by the terms of the agreement.”

Former hostages of Hamas have celebrated news of the agreement.

Emily Damari, a British-Israeli who was held captive by Hamas, posted a video on Instagram celebrating the news with friends including fellow former hostage Romi Gonen.

The group can be seen hugging each other and dancing around a room as they toast “L’chaim”, meaning “to life”.

Eli Sharabi, a freed hostage whose wife and two daughters were killed during Hamas’ attack on 7 October 2023, wrote on social media: “Great joy, can’t wait to see everyone home.”

Hamas urges Israel ‘not to evade’ agreement

In a statement Hamas said the deal came after “responsible and serious negotiations” over the proposal by Trump.

It says that it agreed to the proposal “with the aim of reaching an end to the war of extermination against our Palestinian people and the occupation’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip”.

“We highly appreciate the efforts of our mediating brothers in Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey,” it said.

“We also value the efforts of US President Donald Trump, who seek to bring about a definitive end to the war and a complete withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip.”

The militant group called on the US president and other nations to “compel the occupation government to fully implement the agreement’s requirements and not allow it to evade or delay the implementation of what has been agreed upon”.

It was not immediately clear whether the parties had made any progress on other questions about the future of the conflict, including whether Hamas will demilitarise, and eventual governance of the war-torn territory.

All sides had expressed optimism for a deal to end the two-year war that has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and most of the Gaza Strip destroyed.

Trump’s announcement comes a day after the second anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel that triggered the assault on Gaza.

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.

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.

The deal was solidified in Egypt after days of negotiations centered on a Trump-backed peace plan that he hopes will ultimately result in a permanent end to the war and bring about a sustainable peace in the region.

Earlier Trump told reporters a peace deal on the war in Gaza is “very close” after being handed a note mid-meeting by his US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.

A close-up of the note, taken by press photographers, showed handwriting on official stationery that read: “You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first.”

After reading it Trump said: “I was just given a note by the Secretary of State saying that we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East, and they’re going to need me pretty quickly.”

Trump had told journalists that he planned to travel to the Middle East “toward the end of the week” and could even “make the rounds” in the region to Egypt and possibly the Gaza Strip.

What’s in Trump’s peace plan

The Trump plan calls for an immediate ceasefire and release of the 48 hostages that militants in Gaza still hold from their 7 October attack on Israel.

Around 20 of the hostages are believed to still be alive.

It envisions Israel withdrawing its troops from Gaza after Hamas disarms, and an international security force moving in.

The territory would be placed under international governance, with Trump and former Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said Wednesday in televised comments that the negotiations so far “were very encouraging.”

Netanyahu has already accepted Trump’s plan.

His office said that Israel was “cautiously optimistic,” framing the talks as technical negotiations over a plan that both sides already had approved.

In a statement on Tuesday, Hamas reiterated its longstanding demands for a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, but said nothing about disarmament, a step it has long resisted.

Hamas has also spoken against the idea of international rule, though it has agreed it will have no role in governing post-war Gaza.

With agencies