Israel and Hamas agreed on Thursday to begin the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire aimed at ending the conflict that has caused heavy casualties, widespread destruction, and a humanitarian crisis.
"I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan," US President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
How it unfolded
Donald Trump was holding a roundtable event with conservative influencers about Antifa late on Wednesday when US secretary of state Marco Rubio , standing in the back corner of the White House's Blue Room, caught his eye.
He had news for Trump, he said, but it would have to wait until after the media left. Then Rubio passed the president a note, news agency Associated Press reported.
Nearly two hours later, Trump posted on Truth Social that a deal had been struck.
While the announcement played out publicly, most of Trump’s work had taken place behind the scenes as he pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sought support from Arab leaders. Hoping to secure a Nobel Peace Prize and strengthen his legacy, Trump took a more assertive line than his earlier unconditional backing of Israel.
When he hosted Netanyahu at the White House on September 29 to unveil his 20-point peace plan, Trump declared that if Hamas did not accept it, Israel would have his "full backing to finish the job" and destroy the group. But the plan had already been shaped through consultations with Arab and Muslim leaders at the United Nations.
Netanyahu objected to parts of the proposal, especially references to a potential Palestinian state. Trump was angered by an Israeli strike in Qatar during sensitive negotiations and used Arab outrage to bring regional actors on board. He then compelled Netanyahu to call Qatar’s leader from the Oval Office to apologize, a moment captured in a White House photo showing Trump holding the phone as Netanyahu read from a note.
Trump gave Hamas a deadline of October 5 to agree to the deal or face "all hell." Hamas responded by highlighting Trump’s promise to secure the release of all hostages in Gaza, a cause he had publicly championed. Trump claimed victory and reposted Hamas’s statement, despite the group not agreeing to all terms.
He later told Axios news outlet that he had said to Netanyahu, "'Bibi, this is your chance for victory. He's got to be fine with it. With me, you got to be fine.'"
‘Israel cannot fight the world Bibi'
In an interview with "Hannity" on Fox News, Donald Trump recounted his phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after announcing the deal.
"I spoke to Bibi Netanyahu just a little while ago," Trump said. "He called. He said, ‘I can’t believe it. Everybody is liking me now,’ meaning him. I said, ‘More importantly, they are loving Israel again,’ and they really are. I said, ‘Israel cannot fight the world Bibi, they cannot fight the world.’ And he understands that very well. So it’s amazing the way it’s all come together."
Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter told CNN that living hostages held by Hamas would be released on Sunday or Monday — with a 72-hour clock for Hamas to make the release beginning once the Israeli Cabinet meets, Thursday afternoon or evening, to approve the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released in the agreement. “We hope it leads to a complete cessation of hostilities and a rebuilding of Gaza for the sake of the Gazans and for the sake of Israel,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would convene his government on Thursday to approve the agreement, calling it a "great day for Israel." He added that he would bring the hostages home "with God's help" and thanked Trump, without giving details.
Hamas, in its statement, urged Trump and the guarantors of the agreement to ensure that Israel "fully implement the agreement's requirements and not allow it to evade or delay."
What it means
Donald Trump made the announcement of the agreement on his Truth Social platform, saying all of the hostages held in Gaza would be released soon and Israel would withdraw troops to an agreed upon line as the first step to a "Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace".
Trump said, "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. All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!"
According to Trump, the agreement includes the release of hostages and prisoners and will allow a large flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Last month, Trump unveiled a 20-point plan to end the war and free the remaining hostages.
Under the first phase of the deal, Hamas will release all hostages while Israel will withdraw its forces to an agreed line. The understanding followed talks in Egypt on Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
Qatar described the development as "the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid."
A source within Hamas was quoted as saying by the news agency AFP that the group will release 20 living hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of the first phase. Hamas has submitted a list of prisoners it wants freed by Israel at this stage of the truce.
In return, Hamas is expected to release the remaining 47 hostages, both alive and dead, who were taken during its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war.
The exchange is expected to take place within 72 hours after the agreement is implemented, which is set to be signed on Thursday, the source said.
Two years of Gaza war
On Tuesday, Israelis and Palestinians marked two years since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which ignited the war in Gaza.
About 1,200 people, most of them civilians, were killed in the October 2023 attack, and 251 others were abducted, according to Israeli authorities. More than 65,000 Palestinians have since been killed in the war in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Many of the people kidnapped on Oct. 7 have been freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails during two ceasefires, one in the early months of the war and a second earlier this year. During some exchanges, gaunt Israeli hostages were paraded by Hamas before large crowds in Gaza, and sometimes made to thank their captors, scenes that further angered many Israelis.
At least eight other hostages were freed in Israeli military operations.
"I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan," US President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
How it unfolded
Donald Trump was holding a roundtable event with conservative influencers about Antifa late on Wednesday when US secretary of state Marco Rubio , standing in the back corner of the White House's Blue Room, caught his eye.
He had news for Trump, he said, but it would have to wait until after the media left. Then Rubio passed the president a note, news agency Associated Press reported.
Nearly two hours later, Trump posted on Truth Social that a deal had been struck.
While the announcement played out publicly, most of Trump’s work had taken place behind the scenes as he pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sought support from Arab leaders. Hoping to secure a Nobel Peace Prize and strengthen his legacy, Trump took a more assertive line than his earlier unconditional backing of Israel.
When he hosted Netanyahu at the White House on September 29 to unveil his 20-point peace plan, Trump declared that if Hamas did not accept it, Israel would have his "full backing to finish the job" and destroy the group. But the plan had already been shaped through consultations with Arab and Muslim leaders at the United Nations.
Netanyahu objected to parts of the proposal, especially references to a potential Palestinian state. Trump was angered by an Israeli strike in Qatar during sensitive negotiations and used Arab outrage to bring regional actors on board. He then compelled Netanyahu to call Qatar’s leader from the Oval Office to apologize, a moment captured in a White House photo showing Trump holding the phone as Netanyahu read from a note.
Trump gave Hamas a deadline of October 5 to agree to the deal or face "all hell." Hamas responded by highlighting Trump’s promise to secure the release of all hostages in Gaza, a cause he had publicly championed. Trump claimed victory and reposted Hamas’s statement, despite the group not agreeing to all terms.
He later told Axios news outlet that he had said to Netanyahu, "'Bibi, this is your chance for victory. He's got to be fine with it. With me, you got to be fine.'"
‘Israel cannot fight the world Bibi'
In an interview with "Hannity" on Fox News, Donald Trump recounted his phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after announcing the deal.
"I spoke to Bibi Netanyahu just a little while ago," Trump said. "He called. He said, ‘I can’t believe it. Everybody is liking me now,’ meaning him. I said, ‘More importantly, they are loving Israel again,’ and they really are. I said, ‘Israel cannot fight the world Bibi, they cannot fight the world.’ And he understands that very well. So it’s amazing the way it’s all come together."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 9, 2025
The two had a very emotional and warm conversation, congratulating each other on the historic achievement of signing the agreement for the release of all the hostages.
Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter told CNN that living hostages held by Hamas would be released on Sunday or Monday — with a 72-hour clock for Hamas to make the release beginning once the Israeli Cabinet meets, Thursday afternoon or evening, to approve the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released in the agreement. “We hope it leads to a complete cessation of hostilities and a rebuilding of Gaza for the sake of the Gazans and for the sake of Israel,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would convene his government on Thursday to approve the agreement, calling it a "great day for Israel." He added that he would bring the hostages home "with God's help" and thanked Trump, without giving details.
Hamas, in its statement, urged Trump and the guarantors of the agreement to ensure that Israel "fully implement the agreement's requirements and not allow it to evade or delay."
What it means
Donald Trump made the announcement of the agreement on his Truth Social platform, saying all of the hostages held in Gaza would be released soon and Israel would withdraw troops to an agreed upon line as the first step to a "Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace".
Trump said, "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. All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!"
According to Trump, the agreement includes the release of hostages and prisoners and will allow a large flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Last month, Trump unveiled a 20-point plan to end the war and free the remaining hostages.
Under the first phase of the deal, Hamas will release all hostages while Israel will withdraw its forces to an agreed line. The understanding followed talks in Egypt on Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
Qatar described the development as "the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid."
A source within Hamas was quoted as saying by the news agency AFP that the group will release 20 living hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of the first phase. Hamas has submitted a list of prisoners it wants freed by Israel at this stage of the truce.
In return, Hamas is expected to release the remaining 47 hostages, both alive and dead, who were taken during its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war.
The exchange is expected to take place within 72 hours after the agreement is implemented, which is set to be signed on Thursday, the source said.
Two years of Gaza war
On Tuesday, Israelis and Palestinians marked two years since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which ignited the war in Gaza.
About 1,200 people, most of them civilians, were killed in the October 2023 attack, and 251 others were abducted, according to Israeli authorities. More than 65,000 Palestinians have since been killed in the war in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Many of the people kidnapped on Oct. 7 have been freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails during two ceasefires, one in the early months of the war and a second earlier this year. During some exchanges, gaunt Israeli hostages were paraded by Hamas before large crowds in Gaza, and sometimes made to thank their captors, scenes that further angered many Israelis.
At least eight other hostages were freed in Israeli military operations.
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