Trump said that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement to release all hostages and partially withdraw Israeli forces

Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement under which all remaining hostages will be released and Israel will withdraw its forces to the “agreed upon line,” President Trump announced Wednesday, in what he called the “first phase” of the peace agreement. To end the war that has been going on for two years.

The president wrote in a tweet on Twitter: “This is a great day for the Arab and Islamic world, for Israel, all the surrounding countries, and the United States of America.” Social truth. “Blessed are the peacemakers!”

Two regional sources told CBS News that there is an agreement between all parties in principle on the release of the hostages, but procedural issues remain. Once these details are worked out, it will take 48 hours before any release begins, sources said.

A senior White House official said the hostages may be released on Monday. The agreement is scheduled to be presented to the Israeli Cabinet for approval on Thursday, and if it votes yes, the Israeli army will have to withdraw to an agreed line in the Gaza Strip, which should take less than 24 hours. The official said that after that, Hamas would have 72 hours to release the hostages.

Majid Al Ansari, advisor to Qatari Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, also confirmed the deal. Write on X An agreement had been reached on “the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which will lead to an end to the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also issued a short statement regarding the hostages, saying, “With God’s help, we will return them all to their homeland.”

In a later statement, Netanyahu said it was “a great day for Israel” and that he “will call on the government to approve the agreement and return all the dear hostages to their homeland.” Netanyahu and Trump spoke on Wednesday, with the Israeli government describing it as a “very emotional and warm conversation.”

Hamas also confirmed in a statement that it had reached an agreement.

The terrorist group praised the Qatari, Egyptian and Turkish mediators for their help in brokering an agreement, and specifically thanked Mr. Trump for his “efforts.” He also called on the president to ensure Israel’s “full compliance with the terms of the agreement.”

In an earlier post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump wrote: “All parties will be treated fairly!”

The announcement came just hours after Mr. Trump’s announcement He said he might travel to the Middle East This weekend, it was open for possible travel to the Gaza Strip.

During an unrelated event at the White House on Wednesday, Mr. Trump read a memorandum delivered to him by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The president said Rubio’s memo said negotiators were “very close to an agreement” and that they would “need it” very quickly.

Just over a week ago, Mr. Trump unveiled A 20-point peace plan During a meeting at the White House with Netanyahu, who expressed his full support for the proposal.

The current round of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas began on October 6 in Egypt, with Egyptian and Qatari officials acting as mediators. US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were expected to join the talks on Wednesday, days after Netanyahu confirmed he had sent a delegation to “close down the technical details of the release of our hostages.”

The war in Gaza, which shook the Middle East, was sparked by the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. This attack led to the killing of about 1,200 people and the holding of 251 others hostage in Gaza.

Israel’s retaliatory war in Gaza against Hamas, which the United States and Israel consider a terrorist organization, has killed more than 67,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, which does not distinguish between civilian victims and combatants.

Of the 251 hostages taken to Gaza, 148 were released as part of previous ceasefire agreements or He was rescued by Israeli forces, according to Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry said that the bodies of 57 other hostages had been recovered or recovered.

Mr. Trump’s peace plan called for Hamas to release all 48 remaining hostages. Israel believes that 20 of them are still alive. In return, Israel will release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences, in addition to about 1,700 other Gazans detained since the beginning of the war.

Hamas said on October 4 that it had agreed to key parts of Trump’s original proposal — including the release of hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and the abandonment of its rule in Gaza. But the group said other parts of the plan need further negotiation.