WASHINGTON DC: U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that both Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a new peace plan for Gaza.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump stated: “This means all hostages will be released very soon, and Israeli forces will pull back to a mutually agreed line.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the deal as “a great day for Israel” and is expected to bring it before the government for approval on Thursday, according to BBC.
Hamas has also confirmed the agreement, urging Trump and other involved nations to ensure Israel fully adheres to the terms.
If the deal is successfully implemented, Trump is expected to highlight it as a major foreign policy win of his second term, according to White House sources.
The agreement follows two years and two days after Israel began its military offensive in Gaza, launched in response to the October 7, 2023, attack, in which Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
Since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, at least 67,183 people, including 20,179 children, have been killed by Israeli operations in Gaza.
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