Washington (BN24) — Hamas and Israel have reached a ceasefire deal as President Donald Trump announced that the “first phase” of his Gaza peace plan has been signed, marking what he called “a great day for the world.” The agreement, brokered in Egypt, includes a hostages-for-ceasefire exchange and Israeli troop withdrawal to agreed positions.
Speaking to Reuters on Wednesday, Trump said the deal represented “a fantastic day” with “the whole world” coming together. He praised the breakthrough in a post on Truth Social, saying that both Hamas and Israel had signed off on the first phase of the peace plan. He declared that all hostages would be released soon and that Israeli forces would begin withdrawing, calling the agreement “a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America.” He also thanked mediators from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey for helping to secure what he described as a “historic and unprecedented event.”
Hamas confirmed in a statement that it had agreed to end the war in Gaza, allow the entry of humanitarian aid and engage in a prisoner exchange. The statement said the agreement was reached after “responsible and serious negotiations” in Sharm el-Sheikh over Trump’s proposal and called on Trump and other guarantor states to ensure Israel fully implements the deal’s terms.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the deal in a post on X, calling it “a great day for Israel” and saying he would convene the government to approve the agreement and bring hostages home. He expressed gratitude to Trump and his team “for their mobilization for this sacred mission of releasing our hostages.”
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the ceasefire, pledging U.N. support for its full implementation, scaling up humanitarian relief and advancing reconstruction in Gaza. “The stakes have never been higher,” he said.
Trump told reporters at the White House that he may travel to the Middle East at the end of the week, likely to Egypt where the talks were held. “I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday,” he said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio passed Trump a note during a press gathering, informing him that negotiations were close to conclusion.
Hamas expressed optimism as negotiations progressed, submitting a list of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for Israeli hostages. The release of those held in Gaza and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners forms a crucial part of Trump’s 20-point peace proposal. Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi called the messages from negotiators “very encouraging.”
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner joined Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Abdulrahman Al Thani at the talks on their third day. The negotiations came as Israel and Palestinians marked the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks, which killed 1,200 people and led to more than 67,000 deaths in Gaza during Israel’s subsequent military campaign.
A high-level Hamas official confirmed to NBC News that negotiations were ongoing Wednesday. A meeting on Gaza’s future is set for Thursday in Paris with representatives from several European and Middle Eastern countries invited. The United States was not listed among the attendees.
Israel’s far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Netanyahu to pursue “complete victory” over Hamas in Gaza and posted videos from Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, underscoring internal political tensions even as the ceasefire was reached.
Israel’s military has continued its operations in Gaza during the talks, drawing global criticism over the humanitarian toll. Families across Israel held somber gatherings Tuesday to mark the Nova music festival attack anniversary, while Palestinians reflected on two years of devastation.
As humanitarian groups push for sustained aid deliveries, Trump described the moment as a “possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East,” signaling that the deal could lay the groundwork for broader regional negotiations.
