Israel and Hamas agree to first phase of Gaza peace plan

US President Donald Trump announced in the United States on Wednesday evening that Israel and Hamas had agreed on the first phase of a peace plan that could end the two-year war and free the hostages.

“ALL hostages will be released very soon and Israel will withdraw its troops along an agreed line, which will be the first steps toward a strong, lasting, everlasting peace. All parties will be treated fairly!” Trump said in an article on Truth Social.

The preliminary agreement was confirmed by Israeli officials, Hamas and mediator Qatar.

The Qatari Prime Minister’s spokesperson, Maged al Ansary, said in a message on CNBC. More details will be announced later, he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump on X and said: “With the approval of the first phase of the plan, all our hostages will be returned home. This is a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel. »

An Israeli government spokesperson said the release of the hostages would begin on Saturday, according to Reuters. But in an interview with Fox News, Trump said he expected the hostages to be released “probably” on Monday, Washington DC time.

Hamas confirmed the details in a separate statement. “We highly appreciate the efforts of our brother mediators in Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. We also appreciate the efforts of US President Donald Trump, who seeks a definitive end to the war and a complete withdrawal from the occupation of the Gaza Strip,” the group said.

It remains unclear whether the sides have made progress on more contentious issues, including whether Hamas would agree to demilitarize, as President Trump has demanded, and how governance of the war-torn Gaza Strip would be handled.

The agreement, reached after several days of negotiations in Egypt, should result in the release of around twenty Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Earlier in the day, Trump expressed optimism about developments by saying he was considering a trip to the Middle East within days.

Trump’s 20-point proposal released last month to end the war in Gaza called for “a process of demilitarization of Gaza…which will include the permanent placement of weapons out of service through an agreed process of decommissioning.”

The plan called for Gaza to be governed under “the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic and apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for ensuring the day-to-day management of public services and municipalities for the people of Gaza.”

The war in Gaza began in October 2023 when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people. Israel’s campaign of retaliation has since killed more than 67,000 people, ravaged much of Gaza and plunged the Middle East into crisis.