Israel and Hamas said they had agreed to a long-awaited ceasefire and hostage deal, the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end a war in Gaza that has killed more than 67,000 people and reshaped the Middle East.
Just a day after the second anniversary of Hamas militants'
cross-border attack 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.
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.
News of the deal prompted celebrations in Israel, Gaza and
beyond, with Israeli families of hostages letting off fireworks, while
Palestinians clapped and cheered in hopes of an end to the bloodshed.
“Thank God for the ceasefire, the end of bloodshed and
killing," said Abdul Majeed abd Rabbo, a man in the southern Gaza city of
Khan Younis.
"I am not the only one happy, all of the Gaza Strip is
happy, all the Arab people, all of the world is happy with the ceasefire and
the end of bloodshed."
But the agreement announced by Trump late on Wednesday was
short on detail and left many unresolved
questions that could yet 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 added.
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.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would
convene his government on Thursday to approve the agreement.
"With the approval of the first phase of the plan, all
our hostages will be brought home," he said in a statement. "This is
a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of
Israel."
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.
"We affirm that the sacrifices of our people will not
be in vain, and that we will remain true to our pledge - never abandoning our
people’s national rights until freedom, independence, and self-determination
are achieved," Hamas said.
Gaza authorities say more than 67,000
people have been killed and much of the enclave has been flattened
since Israel began its military response to the Hamas cross-border
attack on October 7, 2023. Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken
hostage back to Gaza, according to Israeli officials, with 20 of the 48
hostages still held believed to be alive.
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 Hamas.
