By ABC News
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Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of the US-led Gaza peace plan, which will allow for the return of all hostages, US President Donald Trump has announced.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of our peace plan,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“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. 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 from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen.”
In the first phase of the deal, Hamas would release 20 living hostages on Saturday or Sunday local time, a Palestinian source has told AFP.
A spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry confirmed an agreement had been reached.
“The mediators announce that tonight an agreement was reached on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid,” Majed Al Ansari wrote on social media.
“The details will be announced later.”
Announcement follows days of Egypt peace negotiations
The announcement comes after days of negotiations in Egypt to hash out a plan for peace between Israel and Hamas.
Mr Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff met with representatives from both sides.
Also present was Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
This week marked the two-year anniversary of the war in Gaza, which began when the militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people, many of them civilians, on October 7, 2023.
During the attack, Hamas also kidnapped about 250 Israelis and held them hostage in Gaza. There are still 48 captives in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, Gazan health authorities say, and devastated the enclave.
After Mr Trump’s announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement was a “great day for Israel”.
“I will convene the government tomorrow to ratify the agreement and bring all of our precious hostages home,” he said in a statement.
“I thank the heroic IDF soldiers and all security forces whose courage and sacrifice have allowed us to reach this day.