Trump says Israel and Hamas ‘approve’ of first phase of Gaza peace plan

US President Donald Trump has announced that Israel and Hamas have “approved” the first phase of a peace plan for Gaza.

“This means that ALL hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw its troops to an agreed-upon line as the first steps toward a strong, lasting, eternal peace,” Trump wrote in Truth Social.

The announcement comes after three days of indirect talks in Egypt – mediated by officials from Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye and the United States – aimed at ending the two-year conflict.

Both Israel and Hamas also confirmed that an agreement had been reached.

However, Trump’s post did not provide clarity on other known sticking points in the negotiations, notably the disarmament of Hamas and the future governance of Gaza.

But the deal still appears to be the closest the two sides have come to ending the war that has killed tens of thousands of people and affected countries including Iran, Lebanon and Yemen.

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Netanyahu and Trump had a “poignant” call, during which they congratulated each other on the deal’s “historic achievement,” according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said: “At this moment Israel’s heart beats as one with the hostages and their families.”

Israel says there are currently 48 hostages in captivity, of whom 20 are still alive and 28 are dead.

Hamas confirmed that the agreement included an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, an exchange of hostages and prisoners and the entry of aid, adding that they “value the efforts of US President Donald Trump, who seeks to definitively end the war.”

Hamas also called on Trump, the guarantor countries and other Arab states to force Israel to “fully implement the requirements of the agreement.” and not allow him to evade or delay the implementation of what was agreed.”

A senior White House official told CBS, the BBC’s US news partner, that “our assessment is that the hostages will begin to be released on Monday,” a schedule later corroborated by Trump.

A senior Palestinian official told the BBC that the ceasefire will take effect immediately after approval by the Israeli government at around 2:00 p.m. Jerusalem time (11:00 GMT).

Israel will allow 400 aid trucks to enter Gaza daily for the first five days, with the number gradually increasing in later stages, the official said.

The official said the “yellow line” on the Trump plan map issued by the White House had been adjusted to reflect Israel’s security requirements and Hamas’ need to secure the release of Israeli hostages.

The initial “yellow line” shown on the White House map would have left Gaza 55% occupied by Israeli forces.

Hamas officials told the BBC that the list of prisoners they had presented to mediators in Egypt included high-profile figures such as Marwan Barghouti, seen by many Palestinians as a future president. It is unclear whether Israel has accepted his release.

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He urged all parties to “fully comply with the terms of the agreement” and “seize this momentous opportunity,” adding that “the suffering must end.”

Trump later told Fox News that the deal would usher in a “different world,” saying this is more than Gaza, it’s “peace in the Middle East.”

“We believe Gaza will be a much safer place… and other countries in the area will help rebuild it because they have enormous amounts of wealth,” Trump said.

Earlier on Wednesday, expectations that a deal could be imminent rose after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended an event with Trump and handed him a note.

The message appeared to ask that Trump approve a Truth Social post about Gaza so “you can announce first.”

Trump said that note informed him that “we are very close to an agreement.” He left the room shortly after, saying he had to focus on the Middle East.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people and took another 251 hostage.

Since then, at least 67,183 people have died from Israeli military operations in Gaza, including 20,179 children, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. The UN and other international organizations consider their figures to be reliable, although Israel questions them.

The ministry has said another 460 people have died from the effects of malnutrition since the start of the war, including 182 since a famine was confirmed in Gaza City in August by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

Netanyahu has repeatedly denied there was famine in Gaza and said Israel was facilitating the delivery of food and other aid.