Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire deal, driving cautious optimism that a permanent end to their brutal two-year conflict could be near.
The agreement, brokered by US President Donald Trump, calls for the release of all Israeli hostages taken during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack, as well as the freeing of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
Israel and Hamas are set to exchange hostages and prisoners within days, US President Donald Trump said Thursday.
Hamas’ top negotiator said the agreement would “end the war,” a sentiment Trump echoed, while Israel’s cabinet met to ratify the accord.
The deal feels “like a new beginning” for a region deeply scarred from two years of conflict, but negotiations were rushed and the pact leaves critical questions unanswered, including how Gaza will be governed in future and what long-term monitoring mechanisms may be in place, Haaretz wrote: “Beyond the first phase, there is no political horizon.”
Residents of Gaza — where a humanitarian disaster has unfolded, with 67,000 killed and famine taking root — and the families of Israeli hostages welcomed the deal. “Finally,” the deputy Palestinian envoy to the UN said.