WASHINGTON (Agencies) – United States President Donald Trump has announced that both Hamas and Israel have agreed to the first phase of his proposed plan for a ceasefire in Gaza and an exchange of captives. “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump posted on his Truth Social account on Wednesday.
According to him, all hostages will be released soon, and Israel will withdraw its troops to a mutually agreed line. Qatar, one of the main mediators, confirmed that an agreement had been reached on the first phase of the ceasefire.
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“The mediators announce that tonight an agreement was reached on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement,” said Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He added that the plan would lead to an end to the war, the release of hostages and prisoners, and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Full details will be shared later.
Negotiations are being held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, with officials from Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt, and the United States participating.
The talks are centered around Trump’s 20-point proposal, which includes a ceasefire, the release of 48 Israeli captives (including 20 believed to be alive), and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Hamas has already submitted its list of detainees to be freed as part of the swap.
Trump said the discussions were going “very well” and hinted that he might visit the Middle East later this week.
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Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff joined Israeli Minister Ron Dermer, a close aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the discussions.
Also present were Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Hamas negotiators Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, both survivors of a recent Israeli assassination attempt in Doha.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the talks had made “a lot of headway” and expressed hope that a ceasefire would soon be declared.
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Analysts say there are still serious disagreements on key issues — including the extent of Israeli troop withdrawal, the future administration of Gaza, and the status of Hamas after the war.
Al Jazeera’s political analyst Marwan Bishara said both sides seem to have agreed on general parameters for the prisoner exchange but differ on when the war would officially end.
“According to the plan, after Hamas hands over the captives, the war should be over,” Bishara said. “Israel says the war will end only after Hamas disarms.” Despite ongoing peace efforts, Israeli airstrikes continued across Gaza on Wednesday.
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The Palestinian Health Ministry reported at least eight deaths and 61 injuries in the past 24 hours. Gaza’s Government Media Office said Israel carried out 271 air and artillery attacks over five days, killing 126 civilians, including women and children — 75 of them in Gaza City alone.
Journalists on the ground say bombardment intensity has slightly decreased, possibly due to mediators urging Israel to reduce strikes so that Hamas fighters can retrieve Israeli captives’ bodies as part of the deal. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that Gaza’s health system is on the verge of collapse. Only 14 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functioning, and just one-third of primary care centers remain open.
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WHO regional director Hanan Balkhy said the territory faces severe shortages of medicine, water, and electricity, and many hospitals have been damaged multiple times during the war. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that Gaza’s health system is on the verge of collapse. Only 14 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functioning, and just one-third of primary care centers remain open. WHO regional director Hanan Balkhy said the territory faces severe shortages of medicine, water, and electricity, and many hospitals have been damaged multiple times during the war.