Hamas has agreed to a peace deal pushed by President Donald Trump to end the war in Gaza and return the hostages, two years after the terrorist network attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking a deadly war and a humanitarian crisis across the Gaza Strip.
Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday to make the announcement: “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. 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. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
Speaking to Sean Hannity, Trump said he expects the hostages to be released on Monday. Netanyahu invited him to address the Israeli parliament on Sunday.
Photos from the negotiation room in Sharm el-Sheikh showed senior officials embracing and shaking hands as reports indicated significant progress toward a hostage release deal. Retired General Nitzan Alon was seen shaking hands with Qatar’s Prime Minister Al-Thani, with special envoy Steve Witkoff in the background.
On the other side, Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya and other senior officials appeared smiling. An Israeli source said preparations are underway for an official announcement of the agreement, while other officials expect it to be signed as early as Thursday.
Israeli media reported that Israel and Hamas will sign the deal on Thursday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, “With God’s help, we will bring them all home.” Netanyahu added, “A great day for Israel. Tomorrow I will convene the government to approve the agreement and bring all our dear hostages home. I thank the heroic soldiers of the IDF 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 mobilizing for this sacred mission of freeing our hostages. With God’s help, together we will continue to achieve all our objectives and expand peace with our neighbors.”
Hamas announced in an official statement, “After responsible and serious negotiations conducted by the movement and the Palestinian resistance factions regarding President Trump’s proposal in Sharm el-Sheikh, to end the war of extermination against our Palestinian people and the withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip, Hamas announces the reaching of an agreement that ends the war on Gaza, provides for the withdrawal of the occupation, allows the entry of aid and implements a prisoner exchange.
“We greatly appreciate the efforts of the mediators in Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, and thank U.S. President Donald Trump for his efforts to bring about an end to the war and the full withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip. We call on President Trump, the guarantor states of the agreement, and all Arab, Islamic, and international parties to oblige the government of the occupation to fulfill all the agreement’s commitments, and not to allow it to evade or delay implementation of the accords.”