Israel, Hamas agree on first phase of Gaza ceasefire deal
On the third day of intense negotiations, Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on “all the provisions and implementation mechanisms” of the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire plan on Thursday morning. Qatar, the main mediator, said that the plan "will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid".
Following the meeting in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh with mediators, Hamas said that to reach an "end to the Genocide against our Palestinian people and the occupation's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip", it has reached an agreement "stipulating an end to the war on Gaza, the occupation's withdrawal from it, the entry of aid, and a prisoner exchange".
"We highly appreciate the efforts of our mediating brothers in Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye. We also value the efforts of US President Donald Trump, who seeks to bring about a definitive end to the war and a complete withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip," the statement reads.
"With the approval of the first phase of the plan, all our hostages will be brought home. This is a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel," wrote war crimes accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, confirming the development.
"From the beginning, I made it clear: we will not rest until all our hostages return and all our goals are achieved. Through steadfast resolve, powerful military action, and the great efforts of our great friend and ally President Trump, we have reached this critical turning point," Netanhayu wrote on X in English.
United States President Donald Trump was the first to break the much-anticipated news, posting on his Truth Social that "This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America".
Trump said 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. All Parties will be treated fairly!"
Hours earlier, he had said that he may travel to Egypt this weekend and that a deal is “very close”. He said he may depart on Saturday.
According to Egypt's state-run Al-Qahera News channel, besides US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer were attending the negotiations.
The Government Media Office in Gaza on Wednesday said Israeli forces carried out 271 raids over the past five days, killing 126 people in the Gaza Strip. The total Palestinians killed in Gaza to at least 67,183, while 169,841 people were injured in the last two years.
