(Agencies) – US President Donald Trump told Fox News’ Hannity program on Wednesday that hostages held in Gaza will “probably be released on Monday,” following an earlier announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of his proposed ceasefire plan in the war-torn enclave. “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “ALL the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed-upon line,” he added.
Mediator Qatar confirmed that the agreement covers the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the ceasefire’s first stage. “The agreement will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid,” said Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry. Details of the arrangement are expected to be announced later. Trump, who said negotiations were “going very well,” hinted he might travel to the Middle East later this week. “I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday,” he told reporters at the White House.
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Negotiations entered their third day on Wednesday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, with delegations from Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt, and the US pressing both sides to resolve differences over Trump’s 20-point peace proposal. The first phase of the plan includes a ceasefire, the release of 48 Israeli captives held in Gaza — including 20 believed to be alive — and the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Hamas has already submitted a list of detainees for the proposed swap. Among those participating in the talks are Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, along with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close aide of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Hamas negotiators Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, and intelligence chiefs from Turkiye and Egypt are also involved in the discussions. Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq welcomed their involvement, calling it “a strong boost” toward ending the war and achieving a prisoner exchange.
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A delegation from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group is also expected to join the negotiations. PIJ currently holds several Israeli captives. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the mediated talks had made “a lot of headway,” expressing optimism that a ceasefire declaration could soon follow.
However, Al Jazeera’s political analyst Marwan Bishara said “serious disagreements” remain — including over the extent of Israeli withdrawal, post-war administration of Gaza, and Hamas’s future. “You could say that the initial phase of the initial phase is working out,” Bishara noted. “Israel says the war ends only after Hamas disarms.”
Despite the diplomatic progress, Israeli attacks continued across Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported eight deaths and 61 injuries in the past 24 hours.
According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, 271 air and artillery strikes were launched over the last five days, killing 126 civilians, including women and children.
Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum reported from central Gaza that Israeli drones continue targeting residential areas, particularly in Gaza City, though bombardment intensity appears to have slightly decreased — possibly due to mediator pressure.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) says only 14 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain partially functional, with severe shortages of medicine, electricity, and clean water. WHO regional director Hanan Balkhy described “dire conditions,” noting that some hospitals have been hit, repaired, and hit again. “Some facilities have been hit and rehabilitated and hit once more,” she said.
Health authorities in Gaza say more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, with nearly two million people displaced and vast portions of the territory reduced to rubble.