Hamas is anticipated to release all living Israeli hostages imminently after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had consented to the “first phase” of a peace agreement for Gaza.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“This indicates that ALL of the Hostages will be freed very soon, and Israel will pull back their troops to a mutually agreed line as the initial steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”
In a Tuesday statement, Hamas reaffirmed its consistent demands for a permanent ceasefire and a total Israeli withdrawal from Gaza but made no mention of disarmament, a measure it has persistently opposed.
Hamas has also spoken against the idea of international rule, though it has agreed it will have no role in governing post-war Gaza.
Speaking in Sharm el-Sheikh, Hamas’ chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya told Egypt’s Qahera TV that the group seeks firm assurances from Trump and mediators that the conflict “will not return”.
It seemed to be his first public appearance since an Israeli assault targeting him and other leading Hamas officials in Qatar last month resulted in six deaths, including his son and office manager.
Civilians flee in Rafah as Israel pushes ahead with its offensive
In January, the two sides had a ceasefire that brought the release of some Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
Under the arrangement—which Trump and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff significantly helped negotiate—the parties were then expected to enter talks over a long-term truce, an Israeli withdrawal, and a complete hostage release.
But Israel broke the ceasefire in March, resuming its campaign of bombardment and offensives, saying it aimed to pressure Hamas for the remaining hostage releases.
Past rounds of negotiations have frequently fallen apart over the same obstacle, with Hamas demanding assurances of the war’s end and Netanyahu vowing to keep fighting until the group is destroyed.
The Trump plan attempts to resolve all the issues at once, by laying out Hamas disarmament and a post-war scenario for governing the territory with provisions for a major reconstruction campaign.
– Reported with Associated Press and CNN.
