Israel, Hamas agree to ‘first phase’ of plan to end fighting, free hostages, Trump says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of its peace plan aimed at suspending fighting and freeing at least some hostages and prisoners, U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday as he outlined the biggest breakthrough in months in the two-year-old war.

“This means that ALL hostages will be released very soon and Israel will withdraw its troops along an agreed-upon line as the first step toward a strong, lasting, everlasting peace,” Trump wrote on social media. “All parties will be treated fairly!” »

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media: “With God’s help, we will bring them all home.” » Hamas said separately that the agreement would guarantee the withdrawal of Israeli troops and allow the entry of aid and the exchange of hostages and prisoners.

Hamas plans to release the 20 hostages alive this weekend, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press, as the Israeli military begins a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza.

It was not immediately clear whether the sides had made progress on thornier issues regarding the future of the conflict, including the demilitarization of Hamas, as Trump has demanded, and the eventual governance of the war-torn territory. But this agreement nevertheless marks the most important development since the agreement of January and February which involved the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The deal was solidified in Egypt after days of negotiations centered on a Trump-backed peace plan that Trump hopes will ultimately lead to a permanent end to the war and lasting peace in the region.

The war began with Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people, including many civilians, and took 251 hostages. Israel’s military campaign of retaliation has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead, devastated Gaza and upended world politics.

Trump expressed optimism earlier in the day, saying he was considering a trip to the Middle East within days.

Another hint of a deal came later at that event when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio passed Trump a note on White House stationery that read: “You must approve a Truth Social publication soon so you can announce the deal first.” » Truth Social is the president’s preferred social media platform.

The memo prompted Trump to proclaim: “We are very close to a deal in the Middle East. »

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