Israel and Hamas have reached a cease-fire agreement that will see all hostages released and Israel withdrawing troops from Gaza to an “agreed upon line,” President Donald Trump said Wednesday.
“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 Truth Social. “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!”
Dr. Majed Al-Ansari, a Qatari government official, added on X: “The mediators announce that tonight an agreement was reached on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza cease-fire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid. The details will be announced later.”
The president told reporters earlier on Wednesday that a deal was “very close” to being struck after Secretary of State Marco Rubio handed him a written update during an event at the White House.
At the time, Trump noted he might be heading to Egypt in the coming days, as “everybody is gathered right now” for the peace negotiations.
“We haven’t decided exactly. I’ll be going to Egypt,” he said. “Most likely. That’s where everybody is gathered right now, and we appreciate that very much, but I’ll be making the rounds as the expression goes.”
The conflict began over two years ago with the Oct. 7 attacks that resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,200 people — mostly Israeli civilians — and the capture of 251 hostages.
Israel responded to the attacks by declaring war on Hamas, coordinating a military offensive in the region in the hope of securing the release of the hostages. However, Israel’s response over the years has resulted in a large number of casualties in the region, including over 67,000 Palestinians, prompting frequent calls for a cease-fire — including from many Hollywood celebrities.
Yet, as the two-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks loomed, the United States and Israel announced that they had agreed on a proposed peace plan, with Trump noting they were giving Hamas a few days to respond to the proposition.
On Friday, Hamas signaled they were ready to enter into negotiations and release all of the Israeli hostages, but only if “the field conditions for the exchange are met.”
Hamas added: “The movement also renews its agreement to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats), based on Palestinian national consensus and Arab and Islamic support.”
Trump issued an optimistic statement following Hamas’ response, where he said on Truth Social that he believed the organization was “ready for a lasting PEACE.”
Trump continued, “Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it’s far too dangerous to do that.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also responded favorably to the update, with his office saying in a statement that they “will continue to work in full cooperation with the President and his team to end the war in accordance with the principles set forth by Israel that are consistent with President Trump’s vision.”
