Trump announcement: ‘Israel’, Hamas agree to first phase of Gaza peace plan

‘Israel’ and Hamas agreed on Thursday to the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire aimed at ending a war that has killed tens of thousands, razed the Palestinian territory and unleashed a major humanitarian crisis.

The deal, to be signed Thursday, includes the release of ‘Israeli’ captives and Palestinian detainees as well as a surge of aid into Gaza after more than two years of aggression.

Palestinian group Hamas would release all captives while ‘Israel’ would pull its troops back to an agreed on line, US President Donald Trump said after talks in Egypt on his 20-point peace plan resulted in a deal.

Qatar said the deal was the "first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid".

Hamas will exchange 20 living captives for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees as part of the first phase of a deal, a source within the group told AFP Thursday.

The exchange will take place within 72 hours of the implementation of the agreement, which is expected to be signed on Thursday, the source familiar with the negotiations said.

The captives will be released in exchange for 250 Palestinians sentenced to life imprisonment and 1,700 others arrested by ‘Israel’ since the war began.

"I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan," Trump said on his Truth Social network.

"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 also thanked mediators Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, adding: "BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!"

‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would bring the captives home "with God's help".

Trump said earlier that he may travel to the Middle East this week as a deal was "very close".

In a dramatic moment, AFP journalists saw US Secretary of State Marco Rubio interrupt an event at the White House and hand Trump an urgent note about the progress of the negotiations in Egypt.

"I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday," Trump said, adding that he was "most likely" to turn up in Egypt but would also consider going to war-torn Gaza.

Trump's plan called for a ceasefire, the release of all the captives held in Gaza, Hamas's disarmament and a gradual ‘Israeli’ withdrawal from the territory.

Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff arrived at the talks earlier.