US President Donald Trump has announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of his peace plan following days of talks in Egypt.
“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 network.
“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. All Parties will be treated fairly!”
Trump praised the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, calling the agreement “Historic and Unprecedented” and adding, “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that his country would bring home all hostages held in Gaza. “With God’s help, we will bring them all home,” his office said in a brief statement.
In a separate post on X, Netanyahu called it a “great day for Israel” and said he would convene the government to approve the agreement. He also thanked the Israel Defence Forces and Trump’s team “for their mobilisation for this sacred mission of releasing our hostages.”
Dr Majed Al Ansari, adviser to the Qatari Prime Minister, said the deal would lead to the end of the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the delivery of humanitarian aid. “An agreement was reached on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement,” he wrote on X, adding that details would be announced later.
The announcement follows several days of indirect talks in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, attended by delegations from Hamas, Israel, and the US, including Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Trump, speaking at the White House, said he may travel to the Middle East in the coming days to support the peace process. “‘Peace for the Middle East,’ that’s a beautiful phrase, and we hope it’s going to come true. But it’s very close,” he said, noting the progress of negotiations and the skill of the negotiators on both sides.
The agreement marks a potentially historic step toward ending nearly two years of conflict in Gaza and securing the safe return of hostages.
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