CAIRO (Realist English). Israel and Hamas have agreed to a long-awaited ceasefire and hostage exchange, marking the first stage of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed roadmap to end the devastating Gaza war that has claimed more than 67,000 lives and reshaped regional politics.
The breakthrough was reached late Wednesday in indirect negotiations in Egypt, just one day after the second anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, cross-border attack that triggered Israel’s massive military campaign.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of our peace plan,” Trump said on Truth Social. “All of the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw its troops to an agreed-upon line as the first steps toward a strong, durable, and everlasting peace.”
Details remain unclear
The agreement — the most significant diplomatic development since the start of the war — lacks key details, including timelines for withdrawal, Gaza’s post-war governance, and Hamas’s political future. Past ceasefire efforts have repeatedly collapsed at this stage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would convene his cabinet Thursday to ratify the deal. “With the approval of the first phase of the plan, all our hostages will be brought home,” he said, calling it a “national and moral victory for the State of Israel.”
Hamas, in a separate statement, confirmed the agreement, saying it includes an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a prisoner exchange. “The sacrifices of our people will not be in vain. We will remain committed to our national rights until freedom and independence are achieved,” the group said.
Gazan authorities report that more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, while Israel says 1,200 people died in the initial Hamas assault and 251 were taken hostage. Of the remaining 48 captives, 20 are believed to still be alive.
Hostage release expected within days
Celebrations broke out across Gaza and Israel after Trump’s announcement. Families of hostages gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, where Hatan Angrest, whose son remains captive, thanked the U.S. president: “Our children would not have come home without him.”
A Hamas official told reporters that living hostages would be released within 72 hours of the Israeli cabinet’s approval, while efforts to recover the bodies of deceased captives “will take longer.”
Despite the ceasefire, the Israeli military warned residents that several areas in Gaza remain “dangerous combat zones.”
Global reaction and next steps
Trump and Netanyahu spoke by phone following the announcement, describing it as a “historic achievement.” Netanyahu invited Trump to address the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, later this month.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged both parties to fully respect the agreement and guarantee the “immediate and unimpeded” entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. “The suffering must end,” he said.
The next phase of Trump’s 20-point peace framework envisions an international administration for Gaza led by Trump himself and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Arab states supporting the plan insist it must pave the way toward a sovereign Palestinian state — a prospect Netanyahu continues to reject.
While Hamas has ruled out any foreign governance, saying it would hand over control only to a Palestinian technocratic government backed by Arab and Muslim nations, Trump’s initiative represents the closest the region has come to a ceasefire since the war began — a fragile step toward what he called “a new peace for the Middle East.”
