The parties involved in indirect talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators and mediators from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, announced in the early hours of Thursday that an agreement had been reached for the first phase of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, based on US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan.
The first phase of the agreement provides for Hamas to release the 20 remaining live hostages at once, in exchange for the release of nearly 2.000 Palestinian prisoners, an AFP source in the Palestinian Islamist movement told AFP today.
The exchange will take place within 72 hours of the start of implementation of the agreement, which is expected to be officially signed later today, added the source, who is aware of the content of the indirect negotiations.
The hostages will be released in exchange for the release of 250 Palestinians who had been sentenced to life imprisonment and another 1.700 people who had been arrested by Israeli forces after the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023, according to this source.
The Israeli government expects hostages in the Gaza Strip to begin being released the day after Saturday, a spokesman told Reuters. He did not specify whether he expected all 48 hostages, dead and alive, to be released at once.
Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would convene a cabinet meeting later in the day to approve the agreement.
It was also agreed that Israel would withdraw its troops to an agreed line and humanitarian aid would enter the Palestinian enclave.
It is "a great day for Israel," Mr. Netanyahu stressed in a statement after US President Donald Trump announced the conclusion of an agreement to end the war that has now lasted for more than two years.
Mediators in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Egypt confirmed today to the Egyptian television station Al Qahera News that an agreement has been reached to exchange hostages for prisoners, allow humanitarian aid and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
"An agreement was reached tonight on all the terms and mechanisms to implement the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza," said the television station, which is believed to have ties to Egyptian intelligence.
"An agreement has been reached on the terms and mechanisms for implementing the first phase of a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, which will lead to an end to the war between Israel and Hamas, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid into the Palestinian enclave," Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari announced recently via X.
"The details of the agreement will be made public soon," he added.
Trump: "The first steps towards a strong, lasting and everlasting peace"
US President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, announced that Israel and Hamas had signed the first phase of the US peace plan and spoke of "a GREAT day for the Arab and Muslim world, Israel, all surrounding nations, and the United States of America."
"I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have signed the first phase of our peace plan. This means that ALL hostages will be released very soon and Israel will withdraw its troops to an agreed-upon line, as the first steps towards a strong, lasting 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. BLESS THE PEACEMAKERS!", the US president wrote.
Netanyahu: "With God's help, we will bring them all back"
Israel will "bring back" the remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced, shortly after US President Donald Trump announced that a deal had been reached between the two warring parties. "With God's help, we will bring them all back home," Netanyahu said via X.
“A great day for Israel. I will convene a cabinet meeting tomorrow to approve the agreement and bring back all of our precious hostages. I thank the heroic soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces and all security forces whose courage and sacrifice allowed us to reach this day. I thank President Trump and his team from the bottom of my heart for their commitment to this sacred mission of freeing our hostages. With God’s help, together we will continue to achieve all of our goals and expand peace with our neighbors,” the Israeli prime minister wrote.
"The Israeli government expects the hostages in the Gaza Strip to begin being released the day after tomorrow, Saturday," a spokesman told Reuters news agency, shortly after US President Donald Trump announced the conclusion of an agreement for the first phase of a ceasefire.
He did not specify whether he expects all 48 hostages, alive and dead, to be released at once.
Hamas: "Ensure that Israel fully implements the agreement"
Hamas confirmed that it reached an agreement to end the war in the Gaza Strip in indirect negotiations in Egypt, which were based on a proposal by US President Donald Trump, stressing that the agreement provides for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Palestinian enclave and an exchange of hostages for prisoners.
"The Palestinian Islamist movement calls on US President Trump and the guarantor countries to ensure that Israel fully implements the ceasefire agreement," it added in its statement.
Source: skai.gr
