Charles Bybelezer, Amelie Botbol
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced the first phase of an agreement aimed at ending the war between Israel and Hamas.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of our peace plan,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The deal is expected to be formally signed on Thursday in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
“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 continued.
“All parties will be treated fairly! 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,” he added. “Blessed are the peacemakers!”
Concurrently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a brief statement saying, “With God’s help, we will bring them all home”—a reference to the 48 hostages still held by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza who are expected to be freed as part of the deal.
“A great day for Israel. Tomorrow I will convene the government to approve the agreement and bring all our dear hostages home,” Netanyahu said in a subsequent statement.
“I thank the heroic IDF soldiers and all the security forces—thanks to their courage and sacrifice, we have reached this day. I thank from the bottom of my heart President Trump and his team for their dedication to this sacred mission of freeing our hostages,” he added.
“Together we will continue to achieve all our goals and expand peace with our neighbors,” concluded Netanyahu.
Netanyahu’s office announced overnight Wednesday that he held a “very emotional and warm conversation” with Trump, during which the leaders congratulated each other on the “historic achievement.”
“The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for all his efforts and for his global leadership, and President Trump congratulated the Prime Minister for his determined leadership and the actions he led,” the statement said.
The two agreed to continue their close cooperation, with Netanyahu inviting Trump to address the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
Earlier on Wednesday, the White House said Trump was considering a trip to the Middle East this weekend.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog emphasized on Wednesday that, “At this hour, all of Israel stands with the hostages. All of Israel stands with their families.”
Danny Danon, Israel’s envoy to the United Nations, said that the entire nation has been waiting for two years for the captives to return home, “as they remain in inhumane conditions at the hands of a cruel enemy.
“We thank President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu for their determination, courage, and perseverance. We will not forget the bravery and sacrifice of the IDF soldiers and security forces who acted with endless dedication to bring the hostages home,” Danon added.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum Headquarters welcomed the agreement, calling it “an important and significant step toward the return of everyone.”
The group urged the Israeli Cabinet to immediately approve the deal, warning that any delay could carry a heavy price.
“The families of the hostages wish to express their deep gratitude to U.S. President Donald Trump and his team for the leadership and determination that led to this historic breakthrough—the end of the war and a comprehensive agreement for the return of all the hostages,” the statement said.
“There are 48 hostages still held by Hamas. Our moral and national duty is to bring them all home—both the living and the fallen. Their return is essential for the healing and renewal of Israeli society as a whole. We will not rest, and we will not be silent until the last hostage is home. We will bring them back. We will rise,” added the forum.
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump dispatched envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Egypt to join the talks on ending the war, as Hamas pressed new demands not part of the original agreement Israel accepted.
Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer was also slated to join the negotiations, along with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin.
On Sept. 29, Trump unveiled a 20-point proposal to end the conflict, sparked by the Hamas-led massacre of 1,200 people in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Under the terms of the agreement, the hostages are to be released within 72 hours of the deal’s signing, with initial reports indicating that Jerusalem is preparing for their return on Saturday.
Earlier this week, families of hostages sent an urgent letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, calling on the body to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Trump for his efforts to broker peace in the Middle East.
