I think it will be a long-lasting peace, hopefully an eternal peace. Peace in the Middle East, says Trump at the cabinet meeting in Washington on Thursday evening.
Israel confirms that an agreement has been signed – but says now that it will come into effect within 24 hours after Thursday evening's government meeting.
According to the advance notice, the weapons would fall silent in the Gaza Strip as soon as Israel and Hamas had signed an agreement, at 11 o'clock on Thursday in the Egyptian tourist resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
But when the time came, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokespeople told the media in Jerusalem that the agreement will come into effect only when Israel's government has voted on the matter, later in the afternoon or early evening.
"Great achievement"
Israeli media reported earlier on Thursday, referring to online posts from Gaza, that Israel continues to attack, and among other things, is shooting at Palestinians trying to head north to Gaza City.
The news of the agreement came via US President Donald Trump on Thursday night.
"This means that all hostages will be released very soon, and that Israel will withdraw its forces to an agreed line", he wrote on his platform Truth Social.
Almost at the same time, he spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He is so happy. He should be. It's a great achievement, said Trump in a phone interview with Axios.
Military withdrawal
If and when the agreement is really nailed down, Israel is to initiate a military withdrawal within the first 24 hours. At the same time, according to sources for Arab media, the clock will start ticking for the three days that are set as a deadline for both sides to release hostages and prisoners.
Celebratory scenes are reported from the streets of both the Gaza Strip and Tel Aviv on Thursday.
"With the approval of the plan's first phase, the entire hostage group will go home", writes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on X.
Trump to Gaza?
However, it is unclear if the release will actually be carried out within three days. Donald Trump says in an interview with Fox News that he believes it will take until Monday. Possibly, he himself will be present then. The President announced before the agreement was concluded that he would likely travel to Egypt, and tells Axios that he also plans to go to Israel and speak in the Knesset. According to the American public service company NPR, it may even be possible for a visit to the Gaza Strip.
Hamas also confirms that an agreement has been reached. The group urges Trump to ensure that Israel follows the agreement fully, according to the news agency AFP.
Mediator country Qatar states that the details of the agreement will be presented later. But according to information, Israel will release around 2,000 prisoners, including some well-known leading figures from Hamas and other terrorist-stamped movements.
In the long term
Israel's military says according to The Jerusalem Post that after the initial withdrawal, they will continue to control more than half of the Gaza Strip. But they will withdraw from large parts of the largest cities, Gaza City and Khan Yunis.
In the long term, Trump's 20-point plan for peace means that Israel will gradually withdraw militarily, while Hamas is disarmed.
A transitional government will also be established in the Palestinian area. But it depends on further negotiations, planned to begin the day after the two sides' releases.
