Trump Announces Israel, Hamas Have Agreed to First Phase of Peace Deal to End Gaza War

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have agreed on the first phase of his 20-point peace agreement to end the war in Gaza.

Hamas will exchange the remaining living and dead hostages in its captivity and Israel will respond by releasing Palestinian prisoners, Trump said on Truth Social.

"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 said.

"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," he added.

"BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!"

Trump's post invokes Jesus Christ's Sermon on the Mount as chronicled in the Gospel of Matthew. Fancying himself a peacemaker, Trump has publicly advocated for himself to win the Nobel Peace Prize because of his success in ending several longstanding conflicts around the world.

Trump's Truth Social post comes shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to hand him a note about a deal coming soon. Rubio's note asked the president to approve a pending Truth Social post about the agreement.

With the deal on the table, the White House said Trump is considering a trip to the Middle East after he completes his annual checkup on Friday.

Releasing the hostages and prisoners is one aspect of the Trump administration's plan to stop the fighting in Gaza and foster economic development in the region. Hamas is expected to begin releasing the hostages this upcoming weekend.

In September, the White House released Trump's plan for stabilizing Gaza and creating a temporary governance structure to rebuild the territory and prevent Hamas from governing it after the war. At the same time, Trump gave Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the green light to escalate the conflict in Gaza if Hamas rejected his latest overture.

"With God’s help we will bring them all home," Netanyahu said in a statement.

Trump's announcement Wednesday marks the beginning of end of the war between Israel and Hamas after almost two years of fighting and tens of thousands of casualties. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters killed 1,200 innocent civilians and abducted more than 250 hostages.

Since then, Israeli forces have conducted a military campaign in Gaza to root out the terrorist organization, killing tens of thousands in the process. Approximately 20 of the remaining hostages are thought to be alive. Israel and Hamas previously swapped hostages for prisoners during temporary cease-fires to halt the conflict for short periods of time.

Israel's commitment to fighting Hamas remains steadfast despite intense opposition from the U.S. left and international organizations. Israel also fought a twelve-day war against Iran and decimated another terrorist group to its north, Hezbollah, during the time it spent fighting Hamas forces in Gaza. Trump brokered the end of Israel's war against Iran after the U.S. launched targeted strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.