By Mariane Angela
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have formally agreed to the first phase of a U.S.-backed peace plan.
Trump said Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a peace deal that includes an Israeli troop withdrawal to a designated line and the release of all hostages. He described the development as a major step toward lasting peace in the region.
“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.
The deal was brokered with the help of Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey.
“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. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS,” Trump continued.
Prior to the official announcement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was caught leaning toward Trump and passing him a handwritten note during a White House briefing. A photo shows Rubio whispering to the president while delivering the message, which urged him to approve a Truth Social post so he could announce the Middle East deal first.
“You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first,” the note said, as seen on the photo.
Hamas said Friday it was open to releasing the remaining hostages and stepping aside from power under Trump’s proposed ceasefire, contingent on support from other Palestinian factions and regional partners. The group said more talks were needed before final terms could be reached.
Trump later said the development is a major turning point and he praised allied nations for helping pressure Hamas into talks. (RELATED: Marco Rubio Passes Trump A Note With News About Middle East Deal)
“I just want to let you know that this is a very special day, maybe unprecedented in many ways. It is unprecedented, but thank you all and thank you all to those great countries that helped! We were given a tremendous amount of help. Everybody was unified in wanting this war to end and seeing peace in the Middle East. And we’re very close to achieving that,” Trump said.
Hamas would be required to free all hostages at once and hand over Gaza’s administration to an “International Stabilization Force” that Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will lead. Palestinian experts would also have a role in the transitional governing body.
Gaza residents have increasingly urged Hamas to accept the plan amid a worsening humanitarian crisis. More than 33,000 people have been displaced by Israeli operations, and nearly 25% of the population faces famine, according to United Nations data.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries celebrated President Donald Trump’s successful deal on Thursday that led Israel and Hamas to agree to the release of all hostages.
Trump announced on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas formally agreed to the first phase of the administration’s peace plan, which involves the release of all hostages and a withdrawal of Israel’s troops to a designated line. Jeffries said on “CNN News Central” that the deal is a “very positive first step” to ending the Israel-Hamas war and achieving a longstanding peace.
“It’s a very, very positive step in the right direction. We’re all hopeful that this agreement will be finalized, that the hostages will be released in a matter of days and returned home to their loved ones,” Jeffries said. “Of course that we can surge humanitarian assistance into Gaza, to alleviate the pain and suffering that Palestinian civilians have been experiencing in a theater of war for the last two years and that we can achieve not just a ceasefire, but a pathway toward a just and lasting peace for both Israel and the Palestinian people.”
Trump said Wednesday on Fox News’ “Hannity” that the hostages, both dead and alive, held by Hamas since Oct. 7, 2023, are expected to be released by Monday.
Trump announced earlier Wednesday evening on Truth Social that Israel and Hamas had formally agreed to the first phase of a U.S.-backed peace plan. Fox’s Sean Hannity asked the president to expand on what could come in the next stages for Israel and Hamas, noting the ongoing aggression and destruction in Gaza.
“I think you’re going to see all of that disappear. I think you’re going to see people getting along, and you’ll see Gaza being rebuilt. We’re forming a council, the Council of Peace, we think it’s going to be called, and it’s going to be very powerful. I think to a large extent it’s going to have a lot to do with the whole Gaza situation,” Trump said. “People are going to be taken care of. It’s going to be a different world. I think really the Middle East came together. Amazingly, they came together.”
“They have some countries with extraordinary wealth, and just spending a small portion of that wealth can do so much for that area. We’ll be involved in it, but the big thing is hostages are going to be released. It’s probably our time — [which] would be probably Monday. They’re terribly —[it’s] a terrible situation,” Trump added. “They’re deep in the earth, and they’re being gotten, and a lot of things are happening right now. As we speak, so much is happening to get the hostages freed, and we think they’ll all be coming back on Monday.”
Prior to the second anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war, Hamas announced Friday that it would tentatively agree to release all remaining hostages and relinquish power under Trump’s proposed ceasefire agreement. (RELATED: Rubio Breaks Down Which Part Of Hamas Deal Will Be ‘A Tough Piece’)
While hostages have slowly been released since Trump returned to office, reports indicate that 48 remain in Gaza, with 26 publicly confirmed dead, according to ABC News.
Trump stated that the release will include the bodies of the deceased, noting that he has spoken to many of the victims’ parents. Trump added that the parents of the deceased are “equally intent” as the parents of the living to get their children back.
“I’ve talked to so many of them, but the parents are more, almost more intent, but equally intent as getting their, in just about all cases, their son’s body back than they are, as though the young man was alive. It’s just the same intensity. They want their baby’s body back. That’s what one woman said,” Trump said.
“‘I want my baby’s body back,’ and, you know, the son is 25, 26 years old. So that’s a very big part of it, getting all of the — it’s about 28. The number is 28. We’ll be coming back, but, unfortunately, dead,” Trump added.
The deal is expected to go before Israel’s cabinet for approval on Thursday, according to CBS News. If approved, the Israeli military will withdraw to an agreed-upon line in the Gaza Strip, a process expected to take less than 24 hours. Hamas would then have 72 hours to release the hostages, the outlet reported.
