Trump hails Israel-Hamas breakthrough
The US president has said the sides have agreed on the first steps of his Gaza peace plan
US President Donald Trump has announced that Israel and Hamas reached a breakthrough in negotiations on the first phase of a Gaza peace plan.
The White House released a 20-point peace plan last month for ending the Gaza conflict, which called for an immediate ceasefire, a hostage-for-prisoner release, Hamas disarmament, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave.
In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump said the militant group has consented to release all Israeli hostages, while Israel has agreed to withdraw from Gaza “to an agreed upon line.”
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” the US president said, calling the decisions the “first steps towards a strong, durable and everlasting peace.”
He thanked the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye for their part in the talks. The indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas have been ongoing in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt since Monday.
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump said he’s considering a trip to the Middle East in the coming days.
“I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday, actually,” he said during a White House event, adding that the talks have been “going along very well.”
Hamas killed around 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The subsequent Israeli military operation in Gaza has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to recent figures from the local Hamas-run health authorities.
According to Israeli media, around 20 of the 48 remaining hostages are believed to be alive.
