President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas have signed the first phase of their peace proposal for Gaza, an agreement that includes the release of all hostages and a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops.
“I am 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 line as a first step toward a strong, lasting, and enduring peace,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The president described the agreement as “a GREAT day for the Arab and Muslim world, Israel, all neighboring nations, and the United States of America,” and thanked the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, crediting them with a key role in advancing the negotiations.
According to Trump, all parties will receive “fair treatment” in this first phase of the plan, which aims to end the war in Gaza and pave the way for sustainable peace in the Middle East.
The president concluded his message with a biblical expression: “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”, alluding to the historic nature of the agreement, which marks the beginning of what the White House has described as the most ambitious roadmap for the region in decades.
Before posting the message, Trump had previously said he might travel to the Middle East later in the week but did not specifically say he would go to Egypt, where peace talks are being held.
Israel and Hamas confirm
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a brief message on his social media: “With God’s help, we will bring them all home.”
Hamas, for its part, stated in a communiqué that “after responsible and serious negotiations” regarding President Trump’s proposal, the parties reached an agreement that entails “an end to the war of extermination” against the Palestinian people and “the withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip.”
“We call on President Trump, the guarantor states of the agreement, and the various Arab, Islamic, and international parties, to compel the occupation government to fully implement the agreement’s commitments and not allow it to evade or delay compliance,” Hamas stated.
“We affirm that the sacrifices of our people will not be in vain, that we will remain faithful to the covenant, and that we will not relinquish the national rights of our people until we achieve freedom, independence, and self-determination,” it concluded.
Image: DiarioNY
