Gaza ceasefire reached, hostages set to be released
A landmark peace agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas, marking a potential end to the devastating two-year conflict in Gaza. Under the first phase of the deal, Israel will begin a partial withdrawal of its troops from the territory, while Hamas will release all remaining hostages. President Trump, who brokered the agreement, called it “a great day for Israel and for the world,” adding that he plans to visit Israel in the coming days. The deal is expected to bring an end to a war that has left Gaza in ruins and resulted in the deaths of more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Trump announced the development on Truth Social, writing that both Israel and Hamas had signed off on the first phase of what he called a “Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.” U.S. officials confirmed that the hostages are expected to be released within 72 hours of approval by Israel’s Cabinet, likely by Monday. Hamas issued a statement declaring the war officially over and thanked Trump and other mediators, urging all parties to ensure the agreement is fully implemented. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated the accord as “a great day for Israel” and said his Cabinet would meet Thursday to approve the deal and secure the release of “our dear hostages.”
Negotiations took place in Egypt, where U.S. representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner worked alongside mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey. The agreement is based on a 20-point peace plan introduced by Trump last week. While the first phase focuses on troop withdrawal and hostage exchanges, future stages will address complex issues such as the disarmament of Hamas and the establishment of Gaza’s postwar government. Trump confirmed that 20 live and 28 deceased Israeli hostages will be returned, while Israel will release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,700 others detained since October 7.
In recent weeks, Israel had already suspended major airstrikes and halted its ground advance into Gaza City at Trump’s request to facilitate talks. The announcement of the deal came dramatically during a White House event, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio handed Trump a note informing him that a breakthrough was imminent. Photographs later showed that the message advised Trump to approve a statement so he could personally announce the agreement. The historic deal, though still in its early phase, represents the first major step toward ending one of the bloodiest chapters in recent Middle East history.
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