Israel, Hamas agree to Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the agreement as 'a great day for Israel' and said he would convene the government to authorise it
TIMES OF ISRAEL – Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war, with all remaining hostages set to be released and Israeli troops withdrawing to an agreed-upon line, according to multiple sources.
Trump announced the breakthrough on his Truth Social platform, saying the agreement represented “a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America”.
“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 posted.
Hamas issued a statement confirming the hostage-ceasefire agreement, saying it “provides for an end to the war in Gaza, the withdrawal of the occupation forces, the entry of humanitarian aid, and a prisoner exchange”.
The Palestinian terrorist organisation thanked the mediators and Trump for brokering the end to the war triggered by its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the agreement as “a great day for Israel” and said he would convene the government to authorise it.
“Tomorrow I will convene the government to approve the agreement and bring all our dear hostages home,” Netanyahu said in a statement from his office.
He extended “heartfelt thanks” to Trump and his team “for their dedication to this sacred mission of freeing our hostages”.
“With God’s help, together we will continue to achieve all our goals and expand peace with our neighbours,” Netanyahu concluded.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said “all of Israel stands with the hostages”, posting a message in Hebrew on X that quoted a verse from the biblical book of Jeremiah.
“At this hour, all of Israel stands with the hostages. All of Israel stands with their families,” Herzog wrote. “They shall return from the land of the enemy … and children shall return to their own borders.”
According to two sources familiar with the negotiations, Hamas would release all remaining living hostages on Saturday, with the deal to be signed Thursday in Egypt.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum greeted the announcement with “excitement, hope and concern”, saying the agreement represented “important and significant progress toward returning everyone”.
“There are still 48 hostages in Hamas captivity. We are obliged morally and as a nation to return everyone home, the living and dead together,” the forum said.
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is held hostage by Hamas, posted her response to news of the agreement on social media.
“Matan is coming home to me, to [his sisters] Natalie and Shani, and to [his partner] Ilana, the love of his life,” wrote Zangauker, who has been among the most vociferous critics of Netanyahu’s handling of the hostage crisis and war.
“To all of you, to the state, I prayed for these tears,” she concluded.
The families also expressed “their deep thanks” to Trump and his administration, hailing his “leadership and determination which led to a historic breakthrough”.
The forum called on the government to immediately hold a meeting to approve the agreement, warning that any delay could pose a risk to the captives and Israeli soldiers in Gaza.
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari tweeted that “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”.
Trump thanked the mediators from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey “who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen”.