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President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas both agreed to the "first phase" of a peace plan that would end the war in Gaza, which was later confirmed by both parties on Wednesday (October 8)
"I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account. 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. "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!"
Hamas shared its own statement confirming the agreement, which was obtained by NBC News.
"After responsible and serious negotiations between the movement and the Palestinian resistance factions regarding President Trump’s proposal in Sharm el-Sheikh, with the goal of reaching an end to the war of extermination against our Palestinian people and the occupation’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announces the conclusion of an agreement stipulating an end to the war on Gaza, the occupation’s withdrawal from it, the entry of aid, and a prisoner exchange," the statement said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also acknowledged the agreement in a post shared on his X account.
"A great day for Israel," Netanyahu wrote. "Tomorrow I will convene the government to approve the agreement and bring all our dear hostages home. I thank the heroic soldiers of the IDF and all the security forces, thanks to whose courage and sacrifice we have reached this day. I thank from the depths of my heart President Trump and his team for their mobilization for this sacred mission of releasing our hostages. With the help of the Almighty, together we will continue to achieve all our goals and expand peace with our neighbors."
The peace deal was reached two years and one day after Hamas carried out terror attacks on an Israeli music festival, which resulted in an estimated 1,200 deaths and 251 people being taken hostage, with Israel retaliating with its war on the terror organization carried out in Gaza resulting in more than 69,000 Palestinians and more than 1,900 Israelis being killed. A United Nations commission comprised of a team of independent experts formally accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and called on the international community to end the campaign earlier this month.