Israel and Hamas Sign First Phase of Gaza Peace Plan: What the New Deal Means for the Region

Amid rising geopolitical tensions, US President Donald Trump has now announced that the first phase for Gaza’s peace plan has been ‘signed off’ between Israel and Hamas.

Taking to his account on Truth Social, the US President 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.”

This comes just three days after indirect talks in Egypt - mediated by officials from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the US - aimed at bringing an end to the two-year conflict, BBC reported.

Both Israel and Hamas has also confirmed that an agreement had been reached. However, the social media post by the US President did not provide clarity on other known sticking points in negotiations - notably the disarmament of Hamas and the future governance of Gaza.

What’s the Deal?

As of now, the deal appears to be the closest the two countries have come to ending the war which has taken the lives of tens of thousands, and drawn in countries including Iran, Lebanon and Yemen.

Writing a post on X, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a "great day", while additionally stating that he would "convene the government tomorrow to ratify the agreement and bring all of our precious hostages home".

According to Hamas, the agreement included an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a hostage-prisoner exchange and the entry of aid. They also said that they "value the efforts of US President Donald Trump, who seeks to bring about a definitive end to the war".

In addition to that, Hamas called on Trump, the guarantor countries and other Arab states to compel Israel "to fully implement the agreement's requirements and not allow it to evade or delay the implementation of what has been agreed upon".

What this Means for Both Parties?

Speaking to CBS, a senior White House official said, “our assessment is that hostages will begin getting released on Monday", a timeline later corroborated by Trump.

On the other hand, senior Palestinian official told the BBC that the ceasefire will go into effect immediately after approval by the Israeli government at around 14:00 Jerusalem time (11:00 GMT).

The official further mentioned that Israel will allow 400 aid trucks to enter Gaza daily during the first five days, with the number to increase gradually in later stages.

In addition to that, the official said the "yellow line" on the Trump plan map issued by the White House had been adjusted to reflect Israel's security requirements and Hamas's need to secure the release of Israeli hostages.

What Leaders Say

According to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office , Netanyahu and Trump held a "moving" call, during which they congratulated each other on the "historic achievement" of the agreement.

Additionally, Israeli President Isaac Herzog noted, as reported by BBC, "At this moment the heart of Israel beats as one with the hostages and their families."

Israel has noted that there are currently 48 hostages in captivity, up to 20 of whom are still alive and 28 are dead.

Speaking to BBC, Hamas officials said that the list of prisoners it had submitted to mediators in Egypt included high-profile figures such as Marwan Barghouti, seen by many Palestinians as a future president. It is unclear whether Israel has agreed to his release.