Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of US President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, a ceasefire and hostage deal that could open the way to ending a bloody two-year-old war that has upended the Middle East.
Just a day after the second anniversary of the cross-border attack by Hamas militants that triggered Israel's devastating assault on Gaza, indirect talks in Egypt yielded an agreement on the initial stage of Trump’s 20-point framework to bring peace to the Palestinian enclave.
Successful completion of the deal would mark a significant foreign policy achievement for the Republican president, who had campaigned on bringing peace to major world conflicts but has struggled to swiftly deliver, both in Gaza and on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
What do we know about the deal?
The accord, if fully implemented, would bring the two sides closer than any previous effort to halt a war that had evolved into a regional conflict, drawing in countries such as Iran, Yemen and Lebanon, deepened Israel's international isolation and reshaped the Middle East.
But the deal announced by Trump late on Thursday AEDT was short on detail and left many unresolved questions that could still lead to its collapse, as has happened with previous peace efforts.
"I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan," Trump said 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."
Trump said earlier that a deal was almost done and that he may travel to Egypt this weekend, possibly leaving as soon as Saturday. Axios reported that he may go to Israel as well.
Despite the hopes raised for ending the war, crucial details are yet to be spelled out, including the timing, a post-war administration for the Gaza Strip and the fate of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The agreement could pave the way for desperately needed humanitarian aid to be immediately sent to Gaza Strip, where a global hunger monitor said in August over half a million people were experiencing famine.
Hostage release expected within days
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a written statement, referring to the hostages held by Hamas: "With God's help we will bring them all home." He said he would convene his government on Thursday to approve the agreement.
Hamas confirmed it had reached an agreement to end the war, saying the deal includes an Israeli withdrawal from the enclave and a hostage-prisoner exchange. But the group called on Trump and guarantor states to ensure Israel fully implements the ceasefire, it added in a statement.
"All Parties will be treated fairly!" Trump said on Truth Social. "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."
A Hamas source said the living hostages would be handed over within 72 hours of the Israeli government approving the deal. Hamas officials have insisted it will take longer to recover the bodies of dead hostages, believed to number about 28, from Gaza’s rubble.
An Israeli government spokesperson said the hostage release was expected to begin on Saturday.
Trump told Fox News' Hannity program on Thursday that hostages held in Gaza will probably be released on Monday.
Netanyahu and Trump spoke by phone and congratulated each other on an "historic achievement," and the Israeli prime minister invited the US president to address Israel’s parliament, according to Netanyahu's office.
Trump had pushed Netanyahu, to whom he had largely given free rein in Gaza until recently, to make concessions. The conservative Israeli leader has also been under growing pressure from hostage families and, according to opinion polls, a war-weary public.
But Netanyahu has also faced threats from far-right members of his governing coalition to quit the government if he gives up too much to the Palestinians.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for all sides to abide fully by the terms on the hostage agreement. “Immediate and unimpeded entry of humanitarian supplies and essential commercial materials into Gaza must be ensured. The suffering must end,” he said in a statement.
Hamas seeks release of Palestinian prisoners
Hamas said earlier on Wednesday it had handed over its lists of the hostages it held and the Palestinian prisoners held by Israel that it wanted to be exchanged.
The list of Palestinians Hamas wants freed was expected to include some of the most prominent prisoners ever jailed by Israel, whose release had been off limits in previous ceasefires.
Hamas has so far refused to discuss Israel's demand that Hamas give up its arms, which the Palestinian source said Hamas would reject as long as Israeli troops occupy Palestinian land.
Two sources familiar with the talks confirmed that sticking points included the mechanism for the Israeli withdrawal, with Hamas seeking a clear timeline linked to the release of hostages and guarantees of a complete pullout by Israeli forces.
Within Gaza, Israel has dialled down its military campaign at Trump's behest, but it has not halted strikes altogether.
Arab countries say plan must lead to Palestinian state
The next phase of Trump's plan calls for an international body led by Trump and including former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to play a role in Gaza's post-war administration. Arab countries which back the plan say it must lead to eventual independence for a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu says will never happen.
There is no clear indication who will rule Gaza when the war ends. Netanyahu, Trump, Western and Arab states have ruled out a role for Hamas, which has run Gaza since driving out Palestinian rivals in 2007.
Hamas has said it would relinquish Gaza governance only to a Palestinian technocrat government supervised by the Palestinian Authority and backed by Arab and Muslim countries. It rejects any role for Blair or foreign rule of Gaza.
Global outrage has mounted against Israel's assault. Multiple rights experts, scholars and a UN inquiry say it amounts to genocide. Israel calls its actions self-defence after the 2023 Hamas attack.
— With additional reporting from Reuters.
