Israel, Hamas agree to first phase of peace deal - Trump

United States President Donald Trump announced yesterday that Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas signed off on the first phase of a US-proposed Gaza deal, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our peace plan.

“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 said on his Truth Social platform.

All parties will be “treated fairly”, he added.

The president described the moment as a “great day” for the Arab and Muslim world, Israel, the surrounding nations, and the US.

Trump thanked all the mediators, including Türkiye, “who worked with us to make this historic and unprecedented event happen.”

“Blessed are the peacemakers,” he said.

Earlier, Trump said he may travel to Egypt this weekend as negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza were showing signs of progress.

“I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday,” he told reporters, noting there is “a very good chance” of progress in the talks.

“I was just given a note by the secretary of state (Marco Rubio) saying that we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East, and they're going to need me pretty quickly,” he said.

Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been underway in Egypt since Monday to discuss Trump's plan to end the conflict.

According to the state-run Al-Qahera News channel, besides US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the list of participants includes Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

The 20-point plan, announced on Sept 29, includes the release of Israeli captives in Gaza, a ceasefire, and the disarmament of Hamas. The Palestinian group agreed to the plan in principle.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable.

UN chief welcomes Gaza ceasefire, hostage deal

Meanwhile, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres on Wednesday welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage release agreement in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

“I welcome the announcement of an agreement to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, based on the proposal put forward by the US president,” Guterres said on X.

“I commend the diplomatic efforts of the US, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkiye in brokering this desperately needed breakthrough.

“I urge all concerned to abide fully by the terms of the agreement,” Guterres said.

- Bernama

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