Israel and Hamas agreed on Thursday to the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire aimed at ending a conflict that has killed tens of thousands, razed the Palestinian territory and unleashed a major humanitarian crisis.
The deal, to be signed Thursday, includes the release of captives and prisoners as well as a surge of aid into Gaza after more than two years of genocide after Tel Aviv started bombing the Palestinian enclave following Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel.
Palestinian group Hamas would release all captives while Israel would pull its troops back to an agreed on line, US President Donald Trump said after talks in Egypt on his 20-point peace plan resulted in a deal.
Qatar said the deal was the “first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid”.
Hamas will exchange 20 living captives for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of the first phase of a deal, a source within the group.
The exchange will take place within 72 hours of the implementation of the agreement, which is expected to be signed on Thursday, the source familiar with the negotiations said.
The captives will be released in exchange for 250 Palestinians sentenced to life imprisonment and 1,700 others arrested by Israel since the war began, the source added.
The Israeli military said that Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir instructed forces to prepare strong defenses and be ready for any scenario and to prepare to lead the operation for the captives’ return with sensitivity and professionalism, following the announcement of the Gaza ceasefire agreement
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.
