Israel and Hamas Accept “First Phase” of Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan
A breakthrough agreement was reached late Wednesday night into Thursday: Israel and Hamas have both accepted the first phase of the peace plan proposed by Donald Trump. The agreement calls for the immediate release of hostages and prisoners from both sides, an immediate ceasefire, a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the entry of substantial humanitarian aid into the enclave.
The accord was confirmed early Thursday, while Europe was still asleep, and has been hailed by international media as “a glimmer of hope after two years of conflict,” which began with the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Trump was the first to announce the deal, even before the parties had formally ratified it. Late Wednesday, he said on his platform Truth Social: “I am proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both accepted the first phase of my peace plan for Gaza.”
Mediators overseeing the indirect negotiations in Egypt quickly confirmed the announcement. A Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman stated: “Mediators announce that an agreement was reached tonight on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to the end of the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of humanitarian aid.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded swiftly, saying: “With the approval of the first phase, all hostages will come home,” calling it “a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel.”
According to the plan’s released text, if all goes according to schedule Thursday, the last Israeli hostages will begin returning home soon, as will hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Arms will fall silent in Gaza, additional aid will flow in, and Palestinians can hope to live their days without fear.
Qatar stated that the agreement includes all “provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to the end of the war, the freedom of hostages and prisoners, and entry of humanitarian aid.”
Once the agreement is signed, arms will be silent. Then, within 72 hours, both sides will release hostages and prisoners. Hamas will release in one batch 20 living hostages (out of 47 still in Gaza) in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees: 250 serving life sentences and 1,700 others imprisoned since the start of the war.
The agreement also states that at least 400 trucks of humanitarian aid will enter Gaza each day during the first five days of the ceasefire, with the number increasing thereafter. The plan further includes the immediate return of internally displaced persons from southern Gaza back to Gaza City and North Gaza, as Israeli forces withdraw to the agreed boundary line.
The deal was formalized this morning in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where the parties’ delegations have been meeting all week under U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediation.
Editorial team/le7tv
