File photo: Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Israel and Hamas have formally signed off on the first phase of the US-brokered peace plan, marking what he called a “historic and unprecedented event” toward ending the war in Gaza.“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. “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.”
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The president added that all parties would be treated fairly, thanking Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey for their mediation efforts. “This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America,” Trump wrote, signing off his post with the message, “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”Trump’s announcement followed an intense day of negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where US secretary of state Marco Rubio reportedly handed the president a note during a White House event, informing him that a deal was imminent.Also Read | ‘Full implementation’: Hamas confirms Gaza ceasefire, hostage exchange deal with Israel; vows to remain ‘faithful to cause’Trump later said he expected to travel to Egypt as soon as this weekend, possibly on Friday, to oversee the next stage of discussions.According to news agency AFP, the agreement’s first phase includes the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a set number of Palestinian prisoners, alongside a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Trump’s 20-point peace framework — which formed the basis of the negotiations — also calls for Hamas’s disarmament and an internationally supervised reconstruction of Gaza.Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had hailed the talks as “encouraging,” while Hamas negotiators expressed “optimism” that the truce could lead to an enduring ceasefire.Trump described the day’s outcome as a major milestone, saying the world was witnessing the “first steps toward everlasting peace in the Middle East.”
