President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the “first phase” of a peace plan to end the war in Gaza.
“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 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, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen,” he continued. “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
Hamas later released a statement of its own and confirmed the agreement.
“After responsible and serious negotiations between the movement and the Palestinian resistance factions regarding President Trump’s proposal in Sharm el-Sheikh, with the goal of reaching an end to the war of extermination against our Palestinian people and the occupation’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announces the conclusion of an agreement stipulating an end to the war on Gaza, the occupation’s withdrawal from it, the entry of aid, and a prisoner exchange,” the statement read.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement of his own, saying he would direct his government to approve the agreement.
Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that he had spoken with Trump and invited him to address the Knesset.
48 hostages remain to be returned. Israel has said it believes 20 are still alive.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio passed a note to Trump at the White House in front of reporters.
“I was just given a note by the secretary of state saying that we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East, and they’re going to need me pretty quickly,” Trump said.
Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi, who is hosting the talks in the Sharm el-Sheikh resort, said Wednesday that the messages he had received were also “very encouraging.”
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner, along with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Abdulrahman Al Thani, all participated in the talks for the third day.
