Trump announces Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal: What we know and what’s next
United States President Donald Trump has announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed on the first phase of a peace framework that aims at a Gaza ceasefire and the release of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners.
The announcement follows from Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war on Gaza, which he announced last week, and which Israel, Hamas and most of the world broadly welcomed.
Concluding the event, Trump said: “I have to go now to try and solve some problems in the Middle East.”
According to a photograph, the note urged the president to sign off on a Truth Social post so he could be the first to announce the deal.
What exactly did Trump say they agreed to?
Trump, in his Truth Social post, said that:
Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of the peace plan
All of the captives will be released very soon
Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed-upon line
That will be the first step towards a strong and durable peace
All parties will be treated fairly
Trump also thanked mediators from Qatar, Egypt and Turkiye
The announcement represents the most significant breakthrough Trump has achieved regarding the war, after eight months of attempts at brokering an end to the conflict. During his re-election campaign, the US president had described ending the war in Gaza as one of his foreign-policy priorities.
What remains uncertain?
The deal has raised hopes of ending the war, but important details are still unclear.
Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara said “some serious disagreements” remain between Israel and Hamas, and crucial details are yet to be hammered out. They include the timing and the extent of an Israeli withdrawal, the makeup of the post-war administration for the Gaza Strip and the fate of Hamas.
“You could say that the initial phase of the initial phase is working out,” Bishara said. According to him, both sides appeared to agree on “some sort of parameters” for a captive-prisoner exchange.
“According to the [Trump] plan, … after Hamas hands over the captives, then the war should be over,” Bishara said. But, he added, “Israel says no, the war will be over only after Hamas disarms.”
How soon could the captives be released?
Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity programme on Wednesday that the captives could be released on Monday, including the bodies of those who have died.
A Hamas source said the surviving captives would be released within 72 hours of the Israeli government’s approval of the deal. Israeli officials indicated the process could be expected to start on Saturday.
Trump said he believed Iran would be part of “the whole peace situation”.
About 20 Israeli captives are believed to be alive in Gaza. Hamas and other Palestinian factions had taken about 250 captives on October 7, 2023, when they attacked Israel. More than 1,100 people died during that attack.
What remains uncertain?
The deal has raised hopes of ending the war, but important details are still unclear.
Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara said “some serious disagreements” remain between Israel and Hamas, and crucial details are yet to be hammered out. They include the timing and the extent of an Israeli withdrawal, the makeup of the post-war administration for the Gaza Strip and the fate of Hamas.
“You could say that the initial phase of the initial phase is working out,” Bishara said. According to him, both sides appeared to agree on “some sort of parameters” for a captive-prisoner exchange.
“According to the [Trump] plan, … after Hamas hands over the captives, then the war should be over,” Bishara said. But, he added, “Israel says no, the war will be over only after Hamas disarms.”
How soon could the captives be released?
Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity programme on Wednesday that the captives could be released on Monday, including the bodies of those who have died.
A Hamas source said the surviving captives would be released within 72 hours of the Israeli government’s approval of the deal. Israeli officials indicated the process could be expected to start on Saturday.
Trump said he believed Iran would be part of “the whole peace situation”.
About 20 Israeli captives are believed to be alive in Gaza. Hamas and other Palestinian factions had taken about 250 captives on October 7, 2023, when they attacked Israel. More than 1,100 people died during that attack.
How did Hamas react?
Hamas released a statement, saying the agreement stipulated “an end to the war on Gaza, the occupation’s withdrawal from it, the entry of aid and a prisoner exchange”.
It thanked Qatar, Egypt, Turkiye and Trump for their mediation efforts, and it also called on Trump and other parties to “compel the occupation government to fully implement the agreement’s requirements and not allow it to evade or delay the implementation of what has been agreed upon”.
It also said, “We salute our great people in the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem and the West Bank, who have demonstrated unparalleled pride, heroism, and honour.”
“These great sacrifices and stances have thwarted the Israeli occupation’s plan for subjugation and displacement.”
Hamas, in the statement, also said that the group “will not abandon our people’s national rights: to achieve freedom, independence, and self-determination”.
