CELEBRATIONS erupted on the streets of Israel and Gaza after Trump announced a historic agreement had been reached towards ending the war.
Families of Israeli hostages as well as young Palestinians were seen hugging and dancing after a breakthrough deal was reached between Israel and Hamas to kick off the first phase of a lasting peace deal.
Trump hailed a “GREAT Day” for the region and the world.
In a post on Truth Social, he said the agreement would lead to the release of all hostages “very soon” and a withdrawal of Israeli troops “to an agreed-upon line” as the first steps toward what he called a “Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”
“Blessed are the peacemakers,” he wrote.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the announcement, saying: “With God’s help, we will bring them all home.”
The Israeli government will convene today at 2pm Jerusalem Time (12pm BST) to vote on the Gaza agreement.
If the plan is approved formally, the ceasefire will go into effect immediately and Israeli troops will withdraw from the current frontlines to the agreed-upon lines – still inside Gaza.
The IDF is expected to withdraw its soldiers in less than 24 hours.
Once that is complete, the 72-hour clock begins for Hamas to release the hostages it holds in Gaza, as per the comprehensive peace plan.
Hamas is then expected to release the hostages starting on Monday.
However, some officials think the terror group may start the process over the weekend.
Israel and Hamas are yet to sign off on the final peace deal in full, which still requires Hamas to agree to complete disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza, amongst other things.
However, top diplomats involved in the mediation process say they are confident that a breakthrough is within reach.
The Qatari leadership said last night’s agreement will “lead to an end to the war”.
The deal marks a historic turning point in the two-year Gaza war that has killed tens of thousands and devastated the enclave.
According to diplomats, the signing follows days of marathon negotiations in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, where US, Israeli, Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators hammered out the final details.
The 20-point Trump plan, long dismissed as wishful thinking, now appears to be edging toward reality.
It calls for a Gaza ceasefire, the release of all hostages, Israeli troop withdrawal and Hamas disarmament and exclusion from future governance.
It also sees the creation of a Trump-led international body to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and transition to a new Palestinian administration.
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