Trump says Israel, Hamas have both signed ‘first phase’ of peace deal; hostages set to be released

“With God’s help, we will bring them all home,” he said on social media.

“I wholeheartedly thank President Trump and his team for their commitment to this sacred mission of freeing our hostages,” he said.

Confirming the agreement on its Telegram channel, Hamas called on Trump and the guarantor states to ensure that Israel fully implements the ceasefire, saying the group “will never give up the national rights of our people until freedom, independence and self-determination are achieved.”

The statement said Hamas appreciated the efforts of mediators Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye, and in an extraordinary change of tone, the group valued “the efforts of US President Donald Trump”.

The Hostage Families Forum, a grassroots group representing most hostage families, said it received news of the ceasefire “with excitement, anticipation and concern.” He called on the Israeli government to meet immediately to ratify the agreement and praised Trump for his “determination and commitment that led to this historic progress.”

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While many questions remain unanswered, the sides appear closer than they have been in several months to ending the war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, destroyed much of Gaza and triggered other armed conflicts across the Middle East.

The war sparked protests around the world and widespread allegations of genocide, which Israel denies. Israel is more isolated than it has been in decades and bitterly divided over the failure to return hostages. Despite recent moves by major Western countries to recognize the state, the Palestinian dream of an independent state seems more distant than ever.

The deal was cemented after days of negotiations in Egypt focused on a Trump-backed peace plan that Trump hopes will ultimately result in a permanent end to the war and bring sustainable peace to the region.

It was not immediately clear whether the sides had made any progress on thornier questions about the future of the conflict, including the disarmament of Hamas as Trump has demanded and the eventual management of the war-torn region.

It was also unclear which Palestinian prisoners would be released under the deal, but the list of Palestinians Hamas wants to release is believed to include some of the most prominent prisoners ever imprisoned by Israel and whose release was prohibited under previous ceasefires.

According to a Palestinian source close to the talks, Hamas’ wish list included Marwan Barghouti, one of the leaders of the Fatah movement, and Ahmed Saadat, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Both are serving multiple life sentences for their involvement in attacks that killed Israelis.

Before Wednesday’s announcement, Israeli officials had been pushing to include Barghouti, the best-known Palestinian prisoner serving five life sentences in Israeli prisons, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

The person said Israeli officials made it clear to the United States that Barghouti’s release would mobilize far-right members of the Netanyahu coalition.

In his post announcing the agreement, Trump said this development was a “historic and unprecedented event” that ensured fair treatment of all parties.

“This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators in Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye who worked with us to bring about this Historic and Unprecedented Event. HAPPY PEACEMAKERS!”

He said earlier on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) that a deal to end the two-year war in Gaza was “very close” and that he could travel to Egypt this weekend.

Trump’s envoys attended talks overnight in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, following two days of indirect talks between Hamas and Israel to try to seal a ceasefire and hostage release agreement based on a 20-point plan that Trump presented to the parties.

Hours before his Truth Social post, Trump made an optimistic assessment, saying that the deal was almost done and that he could go to the Middle East this weekend, and if an agreement was reached, he could probably leave on Saturday. He then announced that he would probably go to Egypt, and that this trip would probably be before or immediately after the hostages were released.

“The Minister of Foreign Affairs has just given me a note [Marco Rubio] “I’m saying we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East and they’re going to need me pretty quickly,” Trump said during an unrelated event at the White House.

“You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce the deal first,” said the note, hand-scrawled on White House stationery, the Associated Press later reported.

Since the war in Gaza began in response to Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, it has turned into a regional conflict and reshaped the Middle East by involving countries such as Iran, Yemen and Lebanon.

Just one day after the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, which triggered Israel’s devastating offensive on Gaza, negotiators delivered lists of hostages and Palestinian prisoners to be released through swaps with Israel.

Israeli and Palestinian sources said Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Netanyahu, arrived and began participating in the talks overnight.

According to Egyptian sources, Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who has been mediating for a long time, also attended the talks.

Despite hopes for an end to the war, key details such as timing, post-war governance of the Gaza Strip and the fate of the Palestinian militant group Hamas have yet to be revealed.

Gaza officials say more than 67,000 people have been killed and much of the territory has been destroyed since Israel began its military response to Hamas’ cross-border offensive on October 7, 2023. According to Israeli officials, approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 people were taken hostage and taken back to Gaza; 20 of the 48 hostages are believed to be still alive.

Diplomatic sources said that in parallel with the Sharm el-Sheikh talks, Arab and other states will meet in Paris on Thursday to discuss the post-war transition of Gaza, and Washington will likely also be represented.

Earlier on Wednesday, Hamas said it had handed over a list of hostages and Palestinian prisoners it wanted to exchange with Israel, and that it was optimistic about the talks so far.

Hamas said the first few days of indirect talks focused on three issues: stopping the fighting, withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza and a swap agreement.

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The group has so far refused to discuss Israel’s demand that Hamas lay down its weapons. The Palestinian source said that Hamas will reject this demand as long as Israeli troops occupy Palestinian lands.

Two sources familiar with the talks confirmed that Israel’s withdrawal mechanism was also among the sticking points, with Hamas seeking a clear timeline for the release of hostages and guarantees of a full withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Israel reduced its military action in Gaza on Trump’s orders, but did not completely stop the attacks. The Israeli army said on Wednesday that its forces killed several militants who were on their way to attack Israeli soldiers in Gaza City, Gaza’s main urban centre.

Trump’s plan calls for the establishment of an international body, led by Trump and including former British prime minister Tony Blair, that will play a role in the post-war management of Gaza. Arab countries that support the plan say it should lead to the eventual independence of the Palestinian state, which Netanyahu says will never happen.

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There is no clear indication of who will rule Gaza when the war ends. Netanyahu, Trump and Western and Arab states have denied any role for Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since expelling its Palestinian rivals in 2007.

Hamas has said it will leave administration of Gaza solely to a Palestinian technocrat government controlled by the Palestinian Authority and supported by Arab and Muslim countries. He denies any role by Blair or foreign rule of Gaza.

Reuters, AP, Bloomberg