Gaza peace deal reached, hostages to be freed
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Palestinians ride on a cart amid the rubble of buildings as the sun sets over Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on March 4, 2025. Photo: Bashar Taleb/AFP via Getty
A peace agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas. In the first phase, Israel will partially withdraw its troops from Gaza and Hamas will release the remaining hostages, President Trump said.
The big picture: The breakthrough comes two years after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, with Gaza almost entirely destroyed and more than 67,000 Palestinians killed, according to the Gaza health ministry.
- Trump told Axios he would likely travel to Israel in the coming days. "It's a great day for Israel and for the world," he said.
What they're saying: "I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. 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," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
- "The war in Gaza is over. The hostages will be released 72 hours after the Israeli Cabinet approves the deal. The release is expected to happen by Monday," a U.S. official told Axios.
- Hamas released a statement stating that the war is over and thanking Trump and the other mediators. "We call on President Trump, the guarantor countries of the agreement, and all Arab, Islamic, and international parties to compel the occupation government to fully implement the terms of the agreement and not allow it to evade or delay the implementation of what has been agreed upon."
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared this "a great day for Israel" and said his Cabinet would convene on Thursday to approve "the agreement and bring all our dear hostages home."
Driving the news: Negotiations to finalize the deal took place in Egypt, with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arriving on Wednesday morning to represent the U.S.
- Negotiators from Israel and Hamas and mediators from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey also participated.
- The deal is based on the 20-point plan Trump announced last week.
- Thorny issues such as the process for disarming Hamas and the future governing structure of Gaza still need to be negotiated.
State of play: Trump told Fox News that the 20 live and 28 deceased Israeli hostages would "all be coming back," probably on Monday.
- Israel has also agreed to release 250 of Palestinians serving life sentences in Israeli prisons and 1,700 Palestinians detained by the IDF in Gaza since Oct. 7.
- Israel had previously suspended its military operation to occupy Gaza City and stopped most airstrikes in Gaza at Trump's request in order to give space for negotiations.
Between the lines: Trump's statement was somewhat cautious, only referring to this as an agreement on the "first phase."
- The next phases could be just as difficult, given the complex issues involved in removing both Israeli forces and Hamas leadership from Gaza and creating a new political and security architecture.
The intrigue: Earlier on Wednesday evening, the drama unfolded on live television. While Trump was in the middle of an event at the White House, Secretary of State Marco Rubio handed him a piece of paper.
- Trump read the note and said he might need to cut the event short. "I was just told we are close to a deal in the Middle East and they will need me soon."
- A photo captured by the AP showed that the note said a deal was very close and the president needed to approve a Truth Social post so he could be first to announce it.
This story was updated with new details throughout.
