Gaza ceasefire deal: What we know so far about the ‘first phase’ of the peace plan

Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of a peace plan to pause fighting and release some hostages and prisoners held in Gaza.

In a post on Truth Social, thanking mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey. He said: “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.”

Hamas said it had reached the agreement, confirming the deal includes an Israeli withdrawal from the enclave and a hostage-prisoner exchange. The group said in a statement the deal came after “responsible and serious negotiations” over Trump’s proposal.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the US “for their commitment to this sacred mission of freeing our hostages” and said “with God’s help, we will bring them all home.” Netanyahu said he would convene the Israeli government on Thursday to approve the deal.

In recent days negotiators have been meeting in Egypt to close gaps between Hamas and Israel over the details of the “first phase” of a 21-point plan announced by Trump in the White House last week.

Hamas plans to release all 20 living hostages this weekend, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The deceased hostages will come out in a later stage in phases. The Israel army will move out of 70% of the area, they said. In exchange, several hundred Palestinian prisoners held by Israel would be released.

The Hostages Families Forum, a grassroots organisation representing many of the hostage families, said it received the news of a ceasefire with “excitement, anticipation, and apprehension.” The Forum called on the Israeli government to immediately convene to approve the deal, and praised Trump for his “commitment and determination that led to this historic breakthrough.”

A Qatar foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed Israel and Hamas reached an agreement for the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal. The agreement “will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid,” said Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson, speaking on behalf of the mediators of the deal. He said the details will be announced later.

It was not immediately clear whether the parties had made any progress on thornier questions about the future of the conflict, including whether Hamas will demilitarise, as Trump has demanded, and eventual governance of the war-torn territory.

UN chief António Guterres welcomed the Israel-Hamas agreement announced Wednesday by US President Donald Trump on the first phase of his peace plan for Gaza, calling on all parties to “abide fully” by its terms.

Trump said earlier that a deal was almost done and that he may travel to Egypt this weekend, possibly leaving as soon as Saturday.

The war began with Hamas’ 7 October 2023, attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people, many of them civilians. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has left more than 67,000 Palestinians dead, devastated Gaza and upended global politics.