WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas signed off on the first phase of a US-proposed Gaza deal.
"I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan.
"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 said on his Truth Social platform.
All parties will be "treated fairly," he added.
The president described the moment as a “great day” for the Arab and Muslim world, Israel, surrounding nations and the US.
Trump thanked all the mediators, including Türkiye, "who worked with us to make this historic and unprecedented event happen."
"Blessed are the peacemakers," he said.
Earlier, Trump said he may travel to Egypt this weekend as negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza were showing signs of progress.
“I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday,” he told reporters, noting there is “a very good chance” of progress in the talks.
"I was just given a note by the secretary of state (Marco Rubio) saying that we're very close to a deal in the Middle East, and they're going to need me pretty quickly," he said.
Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been underway in Egypt since Monday to discuss Trump’s plan to end the conflict.
According to the state-run Al-Qahera News channel, besides US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the list of participants includes Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
The 20-point plan, announced on Sept. 29, includes the release of Israeli captives in Gaza, a ceasefire, and the disarmament of Hamas. The Palestinian group agreed to the plan in principle.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable.
Hamas says it agrees to 1st phase of US President Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan
The Palestinian group Hamas announced early Thursday that it has agreed to the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan, appreciating his efforts along with those of Türkiye, Qatar and Egypt.
“Hamas announces that an agreement has been reached providing for an end to the war on Gaza, the withdrawal of the occupiers, the entry of humanitarian aid, and a prisoner exchange,” it said in a statement on Telegram.
“We greatly appreciate the efforts of our mediator brothers in Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye. We also commend the efforts of US President Donald Trump, which aim for a final end to the war and the complete withdrawal of the occupying Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip,” the statement added.
The statement also addressed the guarantor states of the ceasefire agreement and various Arab and Islamic nations and international circles as well as Trump, calling for pressuring Israel to fulfill the responsibilities of the agreement.
"We emphasize that the sacrifices of our people will not be in vain, that we will remain true to our word, and that we will not relinquish our national rights, such as the right to freedom, independence, and self-determination," the statement added.
The group’s remarks came right after Trump announced that Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of the US-proposed Gaza deal.
Israeli prime minister to convene government Thursday to approve Gaza deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will convene the government on Thursday to approve an agreement reached on Gaza.
"A great day for Israel," Netanyahu said on the US social media company X’s platform.
His remarks came right after US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas have signed off on the first phase of a US-proposed Gaza deal.
Netanyahu thanked Trump and his team for their "dedication to this sacred mission of freeing our hostages."
"With God's help, together we will continue to achieve all our goals and expand peace with our neighbors," he added.
He later said that with the approval of the first phase of the plan, all Israeli hostages will be brought home.
"This is a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel. From the beginning, I made it clear: we will not rest until all our hostages return and all our goals are achieved," he said.
Netanyahu said that thanks to the "great efforts" of Trump, this "critical turning point" was reached.
"I thank President Trump for his leadership, his partnership, and his unwavering commitment to the safety of Israel and the freedom of our hostages," he added.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, for his part, thanked Netanyahu and Trump for the deal.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, and rendered the enclave uninhabitable.
Katz also thanked the "heroic" Israeli soldiers.
"I warmly embrace the families of the hostages for the anticipated return of their loved ones, including IDF soldiers and fallen heroes, home soon."
The Israeli army said in a statement that it welcomes "the signing of the agreement for the return of the hostages” which took place overnight.
"During a situational assessment held overnight, the Chief of the General Staff instructed all forces, both on the front lines and in the rear areas, to prepare strong defenses and be ready for any scenario,” it said in a statement shared on X.
The statement added that the Chief of the General Staff ordered preparations to take charge of the operation to bring back the hostages, which is anticipated to be "conducted with sensitivity and professionalism."
The Israeli army "will continue to act to achieve the objectives of the war and to defend the citizens of the State of Israel on all fronts.”
Trump to visit Israel, may address Knesset following Gaza ceasefire deal: Report
US President Donald Trump is set to visit Israel in the “coming days” and could address the Knesset, according to a report, following a ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
“They want me to give a speech at the Knesset and I will definitely do that if they want me to,” Trump told Axios’ Barak Ravid on the US social media company X’s platform.
“It is a great day for Israel and for the world. My call with Bibi was great. He is so happy. He should be. It is a great achievement. The whole world has come together to reach this deal, including countries that were enemies,” he said, after his phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had signed off on the first phase of the US-proposed Gaza deal.
“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,” he said, adding that all parties will be “treated fairly.”
Trump also told reporters Wednesday that he might visit Egypt later this week, with the White House confirming that he is considering a regional trip shortly after a planned Friday visit to the Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Israeli hostages in Gaza expected to be released Monday: White House official
Hostages held by the Palestinian group Hamas are expected to begin being released Monday following the Israeli Cabinet’s approval of a US-proposed Gaza ceasefire deal, according to a White House official.
"The deal goes to the Israeli Cabinet tomorrow (Thursday). Once they vote yes, Israel has to withdraw to the line, which should take under 24 hours. Then the 72-hour clock begins, and Hamas will try to go earlier if possible. Our assessment is that hostages will begin getting released on Monday," the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Anadolu.
US President Donald Trump announced earlier Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had signed off on the first phase of a US-proposed Gaza peace plan.
“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 said on his Truth Social platform, adding that all parties will be “treated fairly.”
The president also indicated that he may travel to the Middle East this weekend.
The 20-point plan, first announced on Sept. 29, includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, and the rebuilding of Gaza.
Around 250 hostages were taken to Gaza following the Palestinian group’s cross-border attack on Oct 7, 2023. Tel Aviv estimates that nearly 50 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, including around 20 who are believed to be alive.
More than 11,000 Palestinians are being held in Israeli jails, with 3,544 of them held without trial, according to the Israeli human rights group the Center for the Defense of the Individual (HaMoked).
Trump 'very confident' Gaza deal will lead to wider Middle East peace, including with Iran
Iran will likely be part of a wider Middle East peace deal after the war in Gaza is brought to an end, US President Donald Trump said Wednesday, just hours after he announced that Israel and Hamas accepted the first phase of his plan to end the war.
Trump said he has been engaged in "some very good conversations" with Iran over an unspecified "deal," less than four months after he carried out a series of strikes that targeted Tehran’s nuclear program in June. He said Iran was "about one month, maybe two months, away from having a nuclear weapon, and if I allowed that to happen, this deal would not have been possible."
He was alluding to his proposal to end the Gaza war, but he also said he is "very confident" that a wider Middle East peace deal will be struck after the Israeli war on Gaza is brought to an end, saying, "it seems like everything's at a different scale" now.
"We're going to have peace. And by the way, I believe Iran is going to be, actually a part of the whole peace situation. But countries that, frankly, didn't get along, they're all involved, and it's brought the whole world together. It's amazing," Trump said during an interview with Fox News.
"Things are going to be much different in the Middle East, but things are going to be different all over the world," he added.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had signed off on the first phase of the US-proposed Gaza deal.
“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,” he said, adding that all parties will be “treated fairly.”
A White House official told Anadolu that the hostages are expected to be released Monday.
Trump also told reporters Wednesday that he might visit Egypt later this week, with the White House confirming that he is considering a regional trip shortly after a planned Friday visit to the Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, and rendered the enclave largely uninhabitable.
The US president said that after his Gaza peace deal is enacted, the coastal enclave "is going to be a much safer place, and it's going to be a place that reconstructs, and other countries in the area will help it reconstruct, because they have tremendous amounts of wealth, and they want to see that happen."
"We'll be involved in helping them make it successful and helping it stay peaceful, but I think it's going to be peaceful," he said.
Hamas says it has submitted list of Palestinians to be released after agreeing to 1st phase of peace plan
The Palestinian group Hamas said Thursday that it has submitted a list of Palestinians that it wishes Israel to release after both sides signed off on the first phase of a US-proposed Gaza ceasefire deal.
In a statement on Telegram, it said the Palestinians would be released through a prisoner exchange, in line with the agreed-upon criteria in the ceasefire agreement.
The statement added that Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails are one of Hamas' top priorities, and efforts will continue "until the last Palestinian prisoner is freed."
In an earlier statement, Hamas announced that it has agreed to the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan, appreciating his efforts along with those of Türkiye, Qatar and Egypt.
“Hamas announces that an agreement has been reached providing for an end to the war on Gaza, the withdrawal of the occupiers, the entry of humanitarian aid, and a prisoner exchange,” it said.
The group’s statement came right after Trump announced that Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of the US-proposed Gaza deal.
The 20-point plan, first announced on Sept. 29, includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, and the rebuilding of Gaza.
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