Israel and the Hamas movement have agreed on the first stage of a peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, which provides for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages, sources familiar with the details of the deal reported, News.bg reports.
The agreement is to be signed on Thursday at noon (12:00 Israeli and Bulgarian time), after which the first hostages are expected to be released as early as Saturday. The Israeli military will begin a partial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip within 24 hours of the signing.
The decision will be discussed by the Israeli security cabinet and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government in special meetings tonight.
The news was met with mixed feelings - joy and relief in Israel and the Palestinian territories, but also some skepticism due to the lack of specific details.
“I am proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have signed the first phase of our Gaza Peace Plan,“ Trump said on his Truth Social network. “All hostages will be released very shortly, and Israeli troops will withdraw to an agreed line as the first step towards a lasting and everlasting peace.“
Netanyahu called the deal “a diplomatic success and a moral victory“ for Israel and confirmed that all hostages would be returned home.
According to Hamas sources, the agreement includes a prisoner exchange and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. “The sacrifices of our people are not in vain. We will remain true to our right to freedom, independence and self-determination,“ the movement said in a statement.
Although Israeli strikes on Gaza continued into the night over the Shujaiya, Tufah and Zeitoun neighborhoods, local residents greeted the news of the upcoming truce with hope.
“Thank God for the end of the bloodshed,“ said Abdul Majid Abd Rabbo from the city of Khan Yunis. “I am not the only one happy — all of Gaza, the entire Arab world, the entire world is waiting for this moment.“
The deal was brokered by Egypt and represents the first stage of Trump's 20-point peace plan, which envisions an international administration for the post-war reconstruction of Gaza, led by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Hamas confirmed that lists of live hostages and Palestinian prisoners for exchange have already been handed over. The live hostages are expected to be handed over within 72 hours of the deal's approval by the Israeli government, while the bodies of the dead Israelis will be returned at a later stage.
Since the start of the war, which began after a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people, Israel has launched a massive offensive that has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza authorities.
While the agreement was hailed as a historic achievement for Trump, analysts warn that unresolved issues remain — including the future governance of Gaza and the role of Hamas in it.
Netanyahu and Trump have already held a phone call, congratulating each other on the historic breakthrough, and the Israeli prime minister has invited Trump to address the parliament in Jerusalem.
Oil prices fell sharply after the ceasefire announcement — a sign that markets are seeing the peace process as reducing global geopolitical risk.