U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners, in a major breakthrough in the two-year-old war.
“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace,” Trump wrote on social media.
Hamas plans to release all 20 living hostages in the coming days, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media, “With God’s help we will bring them all home.” Hamas said separately that the deal would ensure the withdrawal of Israeli troops as well as allow for the entry of aid and exchange of hostages and prisoners.
Here’s the latest:
UNGA president says ceasefire agreement must lead to immediate aid deliveries
Annalena Baerbock said the agreement announced by Trump finally offers “a ray of hope after more than 700 days of death, destruction and despair.”
She said the moment must be seized to fully implement the agreement, end the war in Gaza, release all hostages and ensure “the immediate and unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid.”
Baerbock said many world leaders at their recent meeting in the United Nations General Assembly stressed that a permanent ceasefire can open a path to peace, end Hamas’ rule in Gaza and Israel’s occupation, and lead to a two-state solution, the only way Israelis and Palestinians can live in lasting peace and security.
The former German foreign minister commended the U.S., Qatar, Egypt, Turkey and the many others involved “for their efforts to bring the suffering of Israeli hostages and Palestinian civilians to an end.”
Hostage families chant ‘Nobel prize to Trump’ in Tel Aviv
Families of hostaages and their supporters started chanting “Nobel prize to Trump” as they gathered in the early hours of the morning in Tel Aviv’s hostages square.
People gathered there after the agreement was announced, with freed hostages and families of those still captive cheering, singing and crying at the news.
Israeli ambassador says end of hostilities in Gaza depends on first-stage implementation
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter told CNN that living hostages held by Hamas would be released on Sunday or Monday — with a 72-hour clock for Hamas to make the release beginning once the Israeli Cabinet meets, Thursday afternoon or evening, to approve the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released in the agreement.
Leiter said that Israel hopes the deal will lead to an end to the war, but that will depend on how well it is implemented.
“We hope it leads to a complete cessation of hostilities and a rebuilding of Gaza for the sake of the Gazans and for the sake of Israel,” he said.
“But it’s the first stage, and we’ve got to see the first stage implemented completely in the next few days.”
Leiter, whose eldest son was killed in the war while serving in the Israeli forces, credited Israeli military pressure with bringing Hamas to the negotiating table after two years of conflict.
Hostages to be ‘probably’ released Monday, Trump says
In an interview on Fox News, Trump said that Hamas will begin releasing hostages “probably” on Monday.
“This is more than Gaza,” Trump told host Sean Hannity in a telephone interview. “This is peace in the Middle East.”
Trump also said a future Gaza will be a “peaceful, much safer place” and that the U.S. would remain involved to ensure its safety and prosperity.
“Other countries in the area will help it reconstruct because they have tremendous wealth,” Trump said, adding: “We’ll be involved in helping them make it successful and helping it stay peaceful.”
Trump confirmed that he spoke to Netanyahu earlier Wednesday night. The prime minister told him, “I can’t believe it,” according to the president’s retelling.
“I said, ‘Israel cannot fight the world, Bibi, they can’t fight the world,’ and he understands that very well,” Trump said.
Israeli Army welcomes agreement, prepares for ‘any scenario’
The Israeli Army released a statement Wednesday that it “welcomes the signing of the agreement for the return of the hostages.”
According to the statement, the Chief of the General Staff instructed all forces “to prepare strong defenses and be ready for any scenario.”
Israeli hostage families in Washington thank Trump
Relatives of Israeli hostages who came to Washington to mark the two year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack released a statement praising Trump for the deal.
“Thank you the Trump administration for doing everything you can to bring them home,” the statement reads.
Jubilation in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square
Joyful hostage families and their supporters began spilling into the central Tel Aviv square that has become the main gathering point in the struggle to free the captives.
Some popped open a bottle of champagne and cheered.
Crying tears of joy, families hugged previously released hostages as the square continued to fill with Israelis.
Family campaigns against release of Palestinian prisoner
Jamal Al-Hur is a high profile Palestinian prisoner rumored to be released in the upcoming deal.
Isidore Karten, whose uncle was killed by Al-Hur in 1996, said Wednesday that while the family is “extremely thankful for the Trump administration” and are “extremely happy” for the hostages and their families, they fear that the deal could be done in a way that risks the repetition of the October 7 attack.
Karten’s family has been campaigning against the release of Al-Hur for the last few days.
Father of hostage says deal could have come earlier
Yehuda Cohen, father of hostage Nimrod said this moment is what they’d been waiting for.
“It could have come much earlier. Let this next three days pass with no one trying to sabotage it,” he said.
Hostages ‘aware of their pending freedom,’ former hostage says
Omer Shemtov, a hostage who was freed earlier this year, told reporters that based on his personal experience, he believed the hostages were aware of their pending freedom.
“I believe they know and that they are very excited.”
Israeli hostage families welcome Gaza breakthrough
Einav Zangauker, the mother of captive Matan and a prominent advocate for the hostages’ freedom, told reporters she wants to tell her son she loves him.
“I want to smell his smell,” she said through tears. “If I have one dream it is seeing Matan sleep in his own bed.″
A forum of hostage families said they met the news with ″excitement, anticipation and apprehension.″
“This represents important and meaningful progress toward bringing everyone home, but our struggle is not over and will not end until the last hostage returns,″ it said in a statement.
Some supporters gathered in a square in Tel Aviv after the announcement came overnight. Others posted messages online.
Hamas official says Palestinian prisoner list handed over
A senior Hamas official said the group has handed over a list of Palestinian prisoners who will be released as part of the ceasefire deal.
Zaher Jabarin, who oversees Palestinian prisoners’ affairs, said in a statement the list was prepared in accordance with “the criteria agreed upon in the agreement.”
He said the group still “awaiting final agreement on the names,” and that they will be announced “once the relevant procedures and understandings are completed.”
Palestinian aid coordinator says joy mixed with sorrow
Eyad Amawi, a Palestinian aid coordinator displaced in central Gaza, says he has mixed feelings of happiness and sadness over the ceasefire deal.
“We believe and don’t believe. We have mixed feelings, between happiness and sadness, memories, everything is mixed,” he said.
Amawi said he hopes the deal is implemented as agreed so that people can return to their homes and begin to “renew the (will) and the hope for life” in Gaza where many children are injured and rubble is everywhere.
His biggest fear, he said, is Israel putting obstacles to implementing the agreement.
The eyes of the Palestinians in Gaza are on how the world will help Gaza to rebuild.
“We need to fix everything here, especially the psychological effects to (continue) with our lives.”
Amawi said the priority for him and everyone else is the return of the displaced to their homes.
He plans to return to Gaza City as soon as the deal takes effect to resume his work and life, and help with the rehabilitation of the city.
He said the news of the deal came late in Gaza, so most people were asleep.
“The celebrations will be great. But also the sadness and the worries will be great also,” he said.
To the world, Amawi said: “We need you.”
‘I can’t believe the news,’ Palestinian man says
A Palestinian man, Ayman Saber, reacted to the ceasefire announcement.
The Khan Younis resident said he plans to return to his home in the city and try to rebuild his house, which was destroyed in an Israeli strike last year.
“I will rebuild the house, we will rebuild Gaza,” he said.
Grandson of slain and released hostages thanks Trump
Daniel Lifshitz, whose grandmother was freed and grandfather was killed in captivity, on Wednesday thanked world leaders for helping secure the newly signed agreement to release all hostages held in Gaza.
“We express our deepest gratitude as the historic agreement has been signed — the hostages, our brothers and sisters, are coming home,” Lifshitz said in a statement.
He thanked Trump for his “decisive leadership and unwavering commitment to bringing every hostage back within 72 hours,” and also praised the roles of Egyptian, Turkish and Qatari leaders and negotiators, citing their “personal dedication and relentless efforts.”
Lifshitz also expressed appreciation to Israel’s negotiation team and Netanyahu “for their determination and courage in achieving this vital agreement.”
From the 20 hostages returned, four are from his community including lifelong friends. “This united cooperation and shared moral responsibility have proven that when the right people stand together, humanity prevails” he said.
Displaced Palestinian man waits to return home
“It’s a huge day, huge joy,” Ahmed Sheheiber, a displaced Palestinian man from northern Gaza, said of the ceasefire deal.
Crying over the phone from his shelter in Gaza City, he said he is waiting “impatiently” for the ceasefire to go into effect to return to his home in the Jabaliya refugee camp.
UN welcomes Gaza peace agreement as ‘desperately needed breakthrough’
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the agreement between Israel and Hamas late Wednesday to begin the initial phase of a U.S.-brokered peace deal while urging all parties to “abide fully by the terms of the agreement.”
Guterres said that the U.N. will support the full implementation of the agreement and has been ready to scale up delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza that has been sitting on the borders of Jordan and Egypt.
“I urge all stakeholders to seize this momentous opportunity to establish a credible political path forward towards ending the occupation, recognizing the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, and achieving a two-state solution that enables Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security,” he said.
Netanyahu, Trump talked about ‘historic achievement,’ Israeli leader’s office says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with President Donald Trump, and they congratulated each other on an agreement to release all the hostages which Netanyahu’s office described as a “historic achievement”
According to a statement from the prime minister’s office, the conversation was “warm and moving.”
Netanyahu thanked Trump for his “efforts and global leadership,” while Trump praised Netanyahu’s “determined leadership and the actions he led.”
Deal to head to Israeli Cabinet for approval
The agreement will head to the Israeli Cabinet on Thursday for its approval, and once that occurs, Israeli forces will begin withdrawing to the agreed upon boundary, according to a senior White House official. That should take less than 24 hours, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss planning.
Hamas then has 72 hours to release hostages, and the White House believes they will begin being released on Monday, the official said.
Hamas to release all 20 living hostages this weekend
Hamas plans to release all 20 living hostages this weekend, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The deceased hostages will come out in a later stage in phases. The Israel army will move out of 70% of the area, they said.
It was not immediately clear whether the parties had made any progress on thornier questions about the future of the conflict, including whether Hamas will demilitarize, as Trump has demanded, and eventual governance of the war-torn territory. But the agreement nonetheless marked the most momentous development since a deal in January and February that involved the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu will convene Israeli government tomorrow
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said he would convene the government tomorrow in order to approve the deal.
“I thank President Trump and his team from the bottom of my heart for their commitment to this sacred mission of freeing our hostages,” Netanyahu said.
Trump pleased with Kushner, Witkoff for getting deal closed
Trump was pleased with Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff for their work to get the first phase of the agreement closed after arriving in Egypt on earlier on Wednesday, according to a person who has briefed on the negotiations and spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the delicate negotiations.
In the leadup to Wednesday’s announcement, Israeli officials were pushing back on inclusion of Marwan Barghouti, the most prominent Palestinian prisoner who is serving five life sentences in an Israeli jail, the person added.
Israeli officials made clear to the U.S. that the release of Barghouti would set off the far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition.
It was not immediately clear which Palestinian prisoners, including Barghouti, will be included in the first phase of the deal.
Hamas says deal reached to end war in Gaza
Hamas says a deal has been reached to end the war in Gaza that will ensure the withdrawal of Israeli troops as well as the entry of aid and the exchange of hostages and prisoners.
The group said in a statement the deal came after “responsible and serious negotiations” over the proposal by President Donald Trump. Hamas called on Trump and the mediators to ensure that Israel implements all the provisions agreed upon without delay or changes.
Qatar says Israel, Hamas agree on first phase of Gaza ceasefire deal.
Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesman says Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
The agreement “will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid,” said Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman, speaking on behalf of the mediators of the deal. He said the details will be announced later.
Group representing hostage families receive ceasefire news with ‘excitement’
The Hostages Families Forum, a grassroots organization representing many of the hostage families, said it received the news of a ceasefire with “excitement, anticipation, and apprehension.”
The Forum called on the Israeli government to immediately convene to approve the deal, and praised Trump for his “commitment and determination that led to this historic breakthrough.”
Trump says Israel, Hamas have agreed to ‘first phase’ of his peace plan
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners.
“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace,” Trump wrote late Wednesday.
By The Associated Press
