by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan, signaling the possible end of the two-year-long war in Gaza that began after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel.
Trump said both parties have “signed off” on the initial phase of his 20-point Middle East peace plan, which includes the release of all hostages, the withdrawal of Israeli troops to an agreed line, and the beginning of large-scale humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Gaza.
“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 wrote on Truth Social. “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.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the deal, calling it “a great day for Israel” and announcing that his government will meet on Thursday to ratify the agreement. “I thank President Trump and his team from the bottom of my heart for their commitment to this sacred mission of freeing our hostages,” Netanyahu said.
Deal Details
According to Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, negotiators in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, finalized the terms of the agreement on Thursday. The hostage release is expected to begin within 72 hours of the Israeli cabinet’s approval.
Under the terms of the deal:
- Hamas will release all 20 surviving Israeli hostages in a single group within 72 hours, along with the remains of several deceased captives in subsequent phases.
- Israel will release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 detainees captured during its counteroffensive.
- Israeli forces will withdraw to a mutually agreed defensive line as part of the ceasefire implementation.
- Humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts in Gaza will immediately ramp up under international supervision.
The Trump peace plan, first presented last week, also calls for Hamas to disarm completely in exchange for amnesty and safe passage for those renouncing terrorism. It stipulates that Hamas will not govern Gaza, and that the Palestinian Authority may be reformed to prepare for future self-determination once the enclave is stabilized.
Mediation and Regional Response
Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey played key mediation roles in brokering the deal. The agreement follows intensive negotiations involving Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and former adviser Jared Kushner, who arrived in Egypt earlier this week to finalize terms.
Trump told reporters that he may travel to the Middle East “by Sunday” to witness the signing in Egypt. “We’re very close to a deal in the Middle East,” he said after receiving a note from Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a White House roundtable.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari confirmed that an agreement was reached “on all provisions and implementation mechanisms” of the ceasefire, calling it a “significant step toward ending the war.”
Background
The Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping over 250 hostages. In the two years since, Israeli operations have destroyed much of Hamas’ military infrastructure, while the humanitarian toll in Gaza has mounted.
The peace framework represents the first tangible breakthrough since the conflict began. Trump hailed it as “a historic and unprecedented event” and quoted Scripture: “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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