US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first part of his Gaza peace plan, describing it as a "historic and unprecedented" move toward ending the two-year conflict.
Under the deal, as described by Trump, all Hamas-held hostages will be released and Israeli forces will partly withdraw to an agreed line within Gaza.
“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 his Truth Social account.
“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.”
"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!" he added.
Egyptian state-affiliated media confirmed that the two sides agreed on a hostage-prisoner exchange framework and the passage of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted the agreement, voicing hope over bringing the hostages home "with God's help."
Prior to that, Trump had indicated that he could go to the Middle East towards the end of the week since negotiations were at a breakthrough point. At a White House event, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was said to have given Trump an urgent message regarding the Egypt talks' progress.
“I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday,” Trump said, adding that he was “most likely” to visit Egypt and could even travel to Gaza.
Trump's 20-point plan incorporates a ceasefire, Hamas disarmament, release of all the hostages, and a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. His son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff attended the negotiations.
In southern Gaza’s Al-Mawasi region, locals reacted with cautious hope as news of the deal spread. “We’re closely following every bit of news about the negotiations and the ceasefire,” said Mohammed Zamlot, a 50-year-old displaced resident.
Hamas reportedly submitted a list of Palestinian prisoners it seeks to have freed in exchange for 47 remaining hostages, both alive and dead, taken during its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Islamic Jihad and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine delegations were also to participate in the Cairo negotiations, together with Qatari and Turkish representatives.
The talks followed the second anniversary of Hamas's 2023 attack, in which 1,219 were killed, primarily civilians, by Israeli estimates. 251 hostages had been taken by militants, with 47 remaining in Gaza, 25 of whom were suspected dead.
Israel's retaliatory campaign has since killed more than 67,000 in Gaza, says data from the health ministry, which the UN considers credible. Half the victims are said to be children and women.
Israeli air raids continued on Wednesday morning despite the negotiations. There were explosions heard by witnesses near the border with Gaza, south of Israel.
Hamas allegedly insisted on assurances from Trump and intervening countries that the war will stop for good. Among those Hamas wants to release is Marwan Barghouti, a top Fatah leader who has long been considered a potential unifier of the Palestinian struggle.
As Trump put it, the first stage of the deal represents "a strong foundation for lasting peace in the Middle East."
