Trump announced: Israel, Hamas reached Gaza deal

President Donald Trump has managed to push through a peace deal in Gaza.
Photo: sbs.com.au

Israel and Hamas have agreed to the "first phase" of a plan to end the war in Gaza, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, with both parties also acknowledging that a deal had been reached, NBC reports.

He said that under the deal "ALL of the Hostages" would be released "very soon" and that Israel would withdraw its troops to an agreed upon line in what he said would mark the "first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace."

"All Parties will be treated fairly," Trump added, calling it "a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America," as he thanks mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey for their efforts.

Hamas also confirmed an agreement in a statement Wednesday, saying the deal came following "responsible and serious negotiations between the movement and the Palestinian resistance factions."

Hamas asked "President Trump, the guarantor states of the agreement, and various Arab, Islamic, and international parties to compel the [Israeli] government to fully implement the agreement’s requirements" in its statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also acknowledged that an agreement had been reached, calling it a "great day for Israel."

"Tomorrow I will convene the government to approve the agreement and bring all our dear hostages home," he wrote. Netanyahu added, "I thank from the depths of my heart President Trump and his team for their mobilization for this sacred mission of releasing our hostages."

Place de la Republique, Paris, October 8.
Photo: AFP

The long-term future of the Gaza Strip is uncertain

Questions remain, however, about the long-term future of the Gaza Strip, with uncertainty over calls for Hamas to disband as well as the future governance of the enclave.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of hostages held in Gaza, said families welcomed the news of the possible release of their loved ones “with a mix of excitement, anticipation, and concern.”

It said 48 hostages remain to be returned. Israel has said it believes 20 are still alive.

The release of those still held in Gaza and 1,950 Palestinian prisoners is a crucial part of Trump’s 20-point proposal.

A meeting on the future of Gaza will be held in Paris on Thursday, a French diplomatic source briefed on the matter told NBC News.

Representatives have been invited from the U.K., Germany, Italy, Spain, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Indonesia, Canada, Turkey and the office of the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs, the source said.

The source was not aware of any U.S. representatives who would attend.

N12, citing a senior American official, stated that the hostages will be released 72 hours after the cabinet approves the deal.

Netanyahu and Trump spoke shortly after the president announced the deal on Thursday.

Israeli officials are preparing for a visit by President Trump on Sunday. He will reportedly address the Knesset.

Photo: cbc

Qatar wants international guarantees

Qatar wants international guarantees, led by the United States, that what is negotiated in Egypt will lead to Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the entry of more aid and a permanent end to the war, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told the Saudi Arabian news channel al-Hadath on Tuesday.

But Israel's far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, urged Netanyahu to pursue "complete victory" over Hamas in Gaza in a video on X that was recorded by the mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.

Another video showed him praying at the compound, his latest challenge to a decades-old understanding allowing only Muslim worship at the site.

Israel has continued its assault on Gaza while the talks have been taking place. Its military campaign has killed more than 67,000 people, reducing much of the enclave to rubble, after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken to Gaza as hostages.

Al Mayadeen receives Hamas' vision for Gaza ceasefire

Hamas is presenting a comprehensive approach aimed at achieving a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and securing a prisoner exchange deal, a senior Palestinian Resistance official told Al Mayadeen.

The official explained that the proposal calls for an all-in-one agreement between the two parties, ensuring a full prisoner exchange.

The Resistance is open to a long-term ceasefire lasting up to five years, under regional and international guarantees, according to the official, who maintained that once the framework is agreed upon, the situation on the ground would revert to the status prior to March 2.

Immediately following the agreement, military operations would cease, Israeli occupation forces would withdraw from the Gaza Strip, and humanitarian aid would be allowed to enter the Palestinian enclave in accordance with an established humanitarian protocol, the official emphasized.

As part of the proposal, Hamas suggests the formation of a local committee composed of independent technocrats to administer Gaza, granting it full jurisdiction and responsibilities, the official noted.

The governance committee would be established based on the Egyptian proposal for the community support committee.

The senior official also said that Hamas’ proposal aims to pave the way for achieving a broader national consensus within the framework of previous agreements reached between Palestinian factions, the latest of which is the Beijing Agreement.

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