Israel and "Hamas" have signed the first phase of a US-proposed Gaza peace deal, which allows for the release of all Israeli hostages, US President Donald Trump announced, quoted by Reuters and BTA.
"I am very proud to announce that Israel and "Hamas" signed the first phase of our peace plan," Trump wrote on the social network "Truth Social."
"This means that ALL hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw its troops to the agreed line as the first steps towards a strong, lasting and everlasting peace," the American leader added.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office released a written statement from Benjamin Netanyahu in which he said that he would convene a cabinet meeting on Thursday to approve the Gaza ceasefire agreement. "A great day for Israel," Netanyahu wrote.
The Hamas group confirmed that it had signed a ceasefire agreement, noting that the agreements included the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Palestinian territory and the exchange of hostages for prisoners. In addition, Hamas called on Trump and the countries that are guarantors of the peace agreement to monitor the full implementation of the conditions by Israel.
Earlier, the US president said that the agreement is almost ready and that he may visit Egypt on Saturday, where peace talks are taking place.
"All parties will be treated fairly", Trump noted in his post on "Truth Social". "This is a GREAT day for the Arab and Muslim world, Israel, all neighboring countries 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," he added.
The successful conclusion of a comprehensive agreement between Israel and "Hamas" would be the biggest foreign policy achievement for Trump, who took office in January promising to quickly end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Reuters notes. But the Republican president has faced obstacles and complexities he apparently did not anticipate.
Senior representatives from the United States, Qatar and Turkey joined the talks, which began on Monday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. This apparently gave impetus to the consultations, Reuters also writes.
Trump sent his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his special envoy Steve Witkoff to Egypt, and Israel was represented by Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer.
Despite hopes for an end to the war, important details have not yet been specified, including the time frame, the post-war governance of the Gaza Strip and the fate of the Palestinian armed group "Hamas".
According to Palestinian authorities, since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023, more than 67,000 people have been killed and large parts of the Palestinian territory have been destroyed.
The war began after Islamists led by "Hamas" attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. It is believed that 20 of the 48 hostages are still alive.