Israel, Hamas agree on 'first phase' to halt fighting, free hostages, Trump says

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the "first phase" of his peace plan, which includes a pause in fighting and the release of some hostages and prisoners.

Negotiators have been meeting in Egypt for days to hash out a Trump-backed peace plan that he hopes will ultimately result in a permanent end to the two-year war and bring about a sustainable peace in the region.

Families of hostages and their supporters started chanting "Nobel prize to Trump" as they gathered in the early hours of the morning in Tel Aviv's hostages square. People gathered there after the agreement was announced, with freed hostages and families of those still captive cheering, singing and crying at the news.

Israel and Hamas agree to ‘first phase’ of peace plan, Trump says

What they're saying:

"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 wrote. "All Parties will be treated fairly!"

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media, "With God’s help we will bring them all home."

Netanyahu said he would convene the government on Thursday in order to approve the deal.

"I thank President Trump and his team from the bottom of my heart for their commitment to this sacred mission of freeing our hostages," Netanyahu said.

The group Hamas also said in a statement the deal came after "responsible and serious negotiations" over the proposal by Trump. Hamas called on Trump and the mediators to ensure that Israel implements all the provisions agreed upon without delay or changes.

Late Wednesday, Netanyahu spoke with Trump, and they congratulated each other on an agreement. According to a statement from the prime minister’s office, the conversation was "warm and moving."

When will hostages be released?

Dig deeper:

The agreement will head to the Israeli Cabinet on Thursday for its approval, and once that occurs, Israeli forces will begin withdrawing to the agreed upon boundary, according to a senior White House official. That should take less than 24 hours, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss planning.

Hamas then has 72 hours to release hostages, and the White House believes they will begin being released on Monday, the official said.

People familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Hamas plans to release all living hostages this weekend, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza. 

In an interview on Fox News, Trump said that Hamas will begin releasing hostages "probably" on Monday.

"This is more than Gaza," Trump told host Sean Hannity in a telephone interview. "This is peace in the Middle East."

A senior Hamas official said the group has handed over a list of Palestinian prisoners who will be released as part of the ceasefire deal.

Zaher Jabarin, who oversees Palestinian prisoners’ affairs, said in a statement the list was prepared in accordance with "the criteria agreed upon in the agreement."

He said the group still "awaiting final agreement on the names," and that they will be announced "once the relevant procedures and understandings are completed."

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.

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 demilitarize, as Trump has demanded, and eventual governance of the war-torn territory. But the agreement nonetheless marked the most momentous development since a deal in January and February that involved the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

War in Gaza

The backstory:

The war in Gaza is nearing its 2-year mark, when Hamas led an attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which militants killed 1,200 people and took roughly 250 people hostage. 

Big picture view:

The war has displaced around 90% of Gaza's population, obliterated much of the territory's urban landscape and left people reliant on outside aid, which Israel has limited since the end of the latest ceasefire in March.

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The latest information from Gaza’s Health Ministry said more than 66,000 Palestinians had died in the war, which includes militants, women and children. 

Dig deeper:

Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas repeatedly failed in recent months over a major sticking point: whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire agreement. 

How many hostages remain in Gaza?

By the numbers:

• Total hostages captured during Oct. 7 attack: 251
• Hostages taken before the Oct. 7 attack: four (two who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015 and the bodies of two soldiers killed in the 2014 war)
• Hostages released in exchanges or other deals: 148, of whom eight were dead
• Bodies of hostages retrieved by Israeli forces: 51
• Hostages rescued alive: eight
• Hostages still in captivity: 48, of which the Israeli military believes 20 are still alive
• Non-Israeli hostages in captivity: four (two Thai nationals and one Tanzanian who have been confirmed dead, and one Nepalese national)

Hamas says it is willing to return all remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza and the bodies of the dead in accordance with Trump’s peace plan.

Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages — around 20 of them believed to be alive — within three days. It would also give up power and disarm.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.