On October 8, President Donald Trump announced a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the two-year war in Gaza.
Celebrations erupt after Israel and Hamas agree to phase one deal
Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace deal. Celebrations erupt in Gaza, Tel Aviv and Ramallah.
President Donald Trump announced on October 8 that Israel and Hamas have agreed to implement the first phase of a peace agreement aimed at ending the two-year conflict.
“Today is a great day for the Arab and Muslim world, Israel, all of our neighbors, and the United States of America,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The agreement was later confirmed by the leaders of Israel, Hamas, and mediator Qatar.
“We have reached agreement on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms for the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to an end to the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid,” Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majid Al-Ansari told X newspaper.
The agreement comes after repeated failed attempts to quell the two-year war, which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
Israel’s response to the attack has drawn increasing criticism around the world, including a United Nations report published in September that concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. Israeli military operations in response have killed more than 66,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
Here’s what we know about the apparent peace deal between Israel and Hamas.
What are the details of the transaction?
Qatar’s Al Ansari wrote in the X newspaper on October 8 that details of the agreement would be announced at a later date.
The first phase of President Trump’s plan called for the release of Israeli hostages within 72 hours of the agreement in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.
President Trump’s plan would grant amnesty to Hamas members who agree to lay down their weapons once all hostages are released. He also called for the immediate resumption of humanitarian assistance.
Al Jazeera cited a statement from Hamas, which said it had “submitted to Israel a list of Palestinian captives in accordance with the standards agreed in the (ceasefire) agreement.”
Release of the hostages is likely to begin on Monday, October 13, but they could be returned sooner, US officials said. President Trump said he expected his release to occur Monday or Tuesday. Of the 48 hostages left in Gaza, 20 are believed to be alive.
President Trump said at a Cabinet meeting on October 9 that the United States knows where the majority of the living hostages are. Regarding the approximately 28 people who are believed to have died, the president said, “The bodies are the bigger problem, because some of the bodies are a little difficult to find.”
President Trump did not elaborate on what the next step in the Middle East deal would be. But he indicated he intended to follow the 20-point plan he announced at the end of September.
“There’s going to be disarmament, there’s going to be withdrawal, there’s going to be a lot of things that are going to happen,” Trump said. “I think there is a possibility that there will eventually be peace in the Middle East.”
He also said the United States would work with “very wealthy countries” to rebuild Gaza. He refused to take a position on an independent Palestinian state, telling reporters at a cabinet meeting: “I don’t have a position. I’ll go with what they agree on.”
Will a Trump-brokered deal end the war?
The agreement appears to be a step towards ending the brutal conflict. However, a previous ceasefire during negotiations to end the conflict collapsed in March.
Israel carried out airstrikes on the ravaged enclave on March 18, ending a ceasefire that began in January.
Al Jazeera reported that Israel continued its operations after the announcement, with warplanes bombing areas in the western part of Gaza City, attacking at least one house in al-Shati camp and attacking an armored vehicle loaded with explosives near a residence on the city’s south side. No casualties were reported.
Avichai Adlai, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesman, warned Gaza residents on X-Post shortly after 5 a.m. on October 9 in Jerusalem that “the northern Gaza Valley area is still considered a dangerous war zone.”
Israel’s reaction
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on the X program that the government would convene to approve the deal on October 9, calling it a “great day for Israel.”
In a statement to The Jerusalem Post, the Israel Defense Forces welcomed the agreement but said it was prepared for “any scenario.”
“During the situation assessment held last night, the Chief of Staff instructed all forces on all fronts to prepare strong defensive measures,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
In Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, families and supporters celebrated the news that Hamas had accepted President Trump’s deal. Dozens of people and television cameras flooded the square at 4 a.m. local time. The square has been occupied for 734 days since a brutal Hamas attack in which militants kidnapped 251 people.
Also in the crowd were former hostages Emily Damali and Omer Shem Tov. “I feel happy and pressured, because until I go to my mother and hug her, it hasn’t happened,” Shem Tov told I24 News.
Hamas’s reaction
As part of its plan, Hamas is keen to hand over control of Gaza to a coalition of Palestinian technocrats. It is less willing to completely disarm and is not committed to playing no future role in governing Gaza.
In a statement, the group expressed gratitude for President Trump’s efforts to end the war and fully withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza.
“The sacrifices of our people are not in vain, and we remain true to our commitments and will not abandon our people’s right to freedom, independence and self-determination,” the statement posted on Telegram said, according to Reuters.
Israeli news agency Walla reported that four prisoners requested by Hamas, Marwan Barghouti, Ahmed Saadat, Hassan Salameh and Abbas al-Sayed, would not be released as part of the deal.
UN Secretary-General praises peace agreement
In a statement on X, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the agreement and praised the diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye.
He pledged that the United Nations would support implementation of the agreement and step up humanitarian assistance.
“The risks have never been higher,” Guterres wrote.
Americans’ praise reflects a variety of enthusiasms
House Speaker Mike Johnson praised Trump’s work on the peace deal.
“With strength and conviction, he accomplished what others only talk about: the return of the hostages, the security of Israel, and the foundations of lasting peace in the Middle East,” Johnson wrote in X.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-Florida) said in a statement on October 8 that President Trump has brought the world closer to peace in Gaza than ever before. “This agreement will only work if Hamas complies,” he added. “We don’t trust terrorists, we trust results.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the agreement brought a huge sigh of relief to the families of the hostages.
“We must begin the even tougher work of concluding a deal that ends the war and begins construction the next day in a Hamas-free Gaza, increases humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza, and builds a lasting peace that ensures the security and dignity of both Israelis and Palestinians,” Schumer said in a statement.
Sen. John Fetterman, a pro-Israel Democrat, hailed the X agreement as historic. “It is now possible to achieve lasting peace in this region,” the Pennsylvania senator wrote.
The Jewish anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace said in a statement that it looked forward to the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, but said the deal did not address what it called the “root causes of injustice.”
“Although a cease-fire will not bring about an end to the genocide, at this point we are holding out high hopes that Israel will eventually be forced to actually commit to the first elements of this agreement: an end to the mass killing of Palestinians by shelling and an end to the blockade of food and medicine,” the group said.
Democratic Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, who have each criticized Israel and supported the Palestinian cause, did not respond to requests for comment by late Tuesday night.
