Hamas and Israel sign ceasefire and hostage deal

SHARM EL-SHEIKH: Hamas and Israel signed an agreement on Thursday to cease fire and free Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in the first phase of United States President Donald Trump’s initiative to end the conflict in Gaza.
Officials on both sides confirmed they had signed the deal following indirect talks in the Egyptian beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. The deal’s announcement had been greeted with celebrations among Palestinians and Israelis alike.
The deal 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.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the ceasefire would take effect once the agreement is ratified by his government, which would convene after a security cabinet meeting today.

An Israeli government spokeswoman, confirming the deal had been signed, said the ceasefire would go into force within 24 hours of the cabinet meeting. After that 24-hour period, the hostages held in Gaza will be freed within 72 hours, she said.

A source briefed on details of the agreement said earlier that Israeli troops would begin pulling back within 24 hours of the deal being signed.

An Israeli official said all 20 Israeli captives still believed to be alive in Gaza after being seized by Hamas would be released.

The prisoners released in exchange will not include Marwan Barghouti, one of the most prominent Palestinian prisoners, the spokeswoman said.

Hamas would release all captives while Israel would pull its troops back to an agreed on line, Trump had said after talks in Egypt on his 20-point peace plan resulted in a deal.

Qatar had 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 told AFP.

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.

“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.”

Trump also thanked mediators Qatar, Egypt and Turkiye, adding: “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”

He also told Reuters that a Gaza hostages-for-ceasefire deal hammered out in Egypt represented “a great day for the world”.

“The whole world has come together on this one, Israel, every country has come together. This has been a fantastic day,” Trump told Reuters in a brief telephone interview.

“This is a great day for the world. This is a wonderful day, a wonderful day for everybody,” he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would bring the Israeli captives home “with God’s help”. Monitoring Desk