By Barak Ravid
Copyright axios
What they’re saying: “The war in Gaza is over. The hostages will be released 72 hours after the Israeli Cabinet approves the deal. The release is expected to happen by Monday,” a U.S. official told Axios.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. 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 Truth Social.Hamas released a statement stating that the war is over and thanking Trump and the other mediators. “We call on President Trump, the guarantor countries of the agreement, and all Arab, Islamic, and international parties to compel the occupation government to fully implement the terms of the agreement and not allow it to evade or delay the implementation of what has been agreed upon.”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared this “a great day for Israel” and said his Cabinet would convene on Thursday to approve “the agreement and bring all our dear hostages home.”
Driving the news: Negotiations to finalize the deal took place in Egypt, with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arriving on Wednesday morning to represent the U.S.
Negotiators from Israel and Hamas and mediators from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey also participated.The deal is based on the 20-point plan Trump announced last week.Thorny issues such as the process for disarming Hamas and the future governing structure of Gaza still need to be negotiated, meaning there could still be diplomatic clashes ahead.
State of play: Twenty of the remaining 48 Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas are believed to still be alive. Israel has also agreed to release 250 of Palestinians serving life sentences in Israeli prisons and 1,700 Palestinians detained by the IDF in Gaza since Oct. 7.
Israel had previously suspended a military operation to occupy Gaza City, and stopped most airstrikes in Gaza at Trump’s request in order to give space for negotiations.
The plan Trump announced last week declared that the war would be over as soon as both parties agreed to proceed with the release of hostages and prisoners. Trump did not declare it over in his Truth Social post, but the U.S. official told Axios the war is over.
The intrigue: Earlier on Wednesday evening, the drama unfolded on live television. While Trump was in the middle of an event at the White House, Secretary of State Marco Rubio handed him a piece of paper.
Trump read the note and said he might need to cut the event short due to developments around the Gaza negotiations. A photo captured by the AP showed that the note said a deal was very close and the president needed to approve a Truth Social post so he could be first to announce it.”I was just told we are close to a deal in the Middle East and they will need me soon,” Trump remarked.
What to watch: He also said he might travel to the region over the weekend if a deal was reached. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement saying that trip could happen after he had a physical exam on Friday.