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Israel and Hamas have agreed to first phase of a Gaza peace plan allowing hostage release and troop withdrawal
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The plan was announced by US President Donald Trump on Truth Social as a step toward lasting peace
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The conflict began with a Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, killing nearly 1,200 and taking hostages
US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas have signed off on the first phase of the Gaza peace plan that allows for release of Israeli hostages and withdrawal of Israeli troops from some parts.
"I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan," Trump posted on Truth Social.
"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," he said.
The annoucement comes after two years of war in Gaza, triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel that killed nearly 1,200 people and more than 250 others taken hostage. The Israeli offensive in the Palestinian enclave have claimed over 66,000 lives, as per media reports.
Trump claimed "all parties will be treated fairly" and called it a "great day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States".
He thanked the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey for supporting the US-proposed peace plan.
Several high-level leaders and officials arrived in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh for a meeting to end the Gaza war. These included Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Egypt’s intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin and Israel’s chief negotiator Ron Dermer, as per a CNN report.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the return of over a dozen hostages was a "diplomatic success and a national and moral victory" for Israel. He spoke to Trump over phone after the Truth Social post.
Also Read: Gaza Peace Plan: Netanyahu Calls Return Of Israeli Hostages 'Moral Victory', Thanks Trump
The Gaza peace plan was unveiled by Trump during his meeting with Netanyahu last month.
After Hamas dragged on the proposal, Trump warned last week that if the group does not "move quickly" and agree to the peace deal with Israel, Gaza is looking at further risk of devastation.
He acknowledged that "Israel has temporarily paused its bombing campaign to allow the hostage release and peace agreement a chance to move forward." However, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that Israel conducted numerous airstrikes on Gaza City during the weekend.
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