Israel and Hamas agree to first phase of Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan

CAIRO: Israel and Hamas agreed on Wednesday to the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, a ceasefire and hostage deal that could open the way to ending a bloody two-year-old war that has upended the Middle East.

Just a day after the second anniversary of Hamas cross-border retaliatory 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.

“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 resistance 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 U.S., 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, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Netanyahu, who represented Israel.

Read More: Trump says he may go to the Middle East for Gaza deal

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.

A Hamas source said the living hostages would be handed over

within 72 hours of the Israeli government approving the deal. Hamas officials have insisted it will take longer to recover the bodies of dead hostages, believed to number about 28, from Gaza’s rubble.

An Israeli government spokesperson said the hostage release was expected to begin on Saturday.

HOSTAGE RELEASE EXPECTED IN DAYS

A Hamas source said the living hostages would be handed over

within 72 hours of the Israeli government approving the deal. Hamas officials have insisted it will take longer to recover the bodies of dead hostages, believed to number about 28, from Gaza’s rubble.

An Israeli government spokesperson said the hostage release was expected to begin on Saturday.

Netanyahu and Trump spoke by phone and congratulated each other on a “historic achievement,” and the Israeli prime minister invited the U.S president to address Israel’s parliament, according to Netanyahu’s office.

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.

The list of Palestinians Hamas wants freed was expected to include some of the most prominent prisoners ever jailed by Israel, whose release had been off limits in previous ceasefires.

According to a Palestinian source close to the talks, the list includes Marwan al-Barghouti, a leader of the Fatah movement, and Ahmed Saadat, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Both are serving multiple life sentences for involvement in retaliatory attacks that killed Israelis.

ARAB COUNTRIES SAY PLAN MUST LEAD TO 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.