Donald Trump announces Israel and Hamas agree on first phase of Gaza ceasefire

US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas “signed the first phase of our Peace Plan.” “This means that ALL Hostages will be released very soon and Israel will withdraw its Soldiers to an agreed-upon line as the first steps towards a Strong, Resilient and Everlasting Peace,” Trump said in a post on social media platform Truth Social. he said.

“All parties will be treated fairly! 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 added.

According to the White House’s Al Jazeera report, Trump is scheduled to have a “routine annual checkup” at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington DC on Friday morning. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said he could “shortly” travel to the Middle East, where negotiators are trying to finalize a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.

A source with knowledge of the talks said that Hamas’ Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya met with the head of Egyptian intelligence to put the finishing touches on a “historic” Gaza agreement, Al Jazeera reported, citing its sources.

Sources told Al Jazeera that a deal could be announced on Thursday.

In a letter to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Palestine accused Israel of waging a “genocidal war” in Gaza and warned that the destruction had reached unprecedented levels, Al Jazeera reported.

The letter, published on the official X account of the State of Palestine, said: “While the rest of the world is doing its best to stop the bloodshed, the occupying power, Israel, continues its genocidal war against the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

According to Al Jazeera, he stated that Israel “insists on the criminal path of collective punishment” and accused Israel of destroying Palestinian society and seeking to “colonise and annex” the occupied lands.

“The death toll in Gaza alone has exceeded at least 2,37,000 Palestinians since October 2023,” according to the statement, with most homes and civilian infrastructure destroyed. The report also pointed out increasing settler violence and forced displacement and warned that Israel’s “all-out attack on the Palestinian entity risks being repeated in the West Bank.”

“Israel’s contempt for life and international law must end. On this tragic second anniversary, we reiterate once again: This genocide must be stopped,” the letter said.

(This story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)