Israel and Hamas have allegedly agreed to the first phase of an American-mediated peace plan, announced by President Donald Trump via his Truth Social platform on Wednesday.
The agreement, which has allegedly secured the release of 48 hostages and, according to Trump, a ceasefire in Gaza, could be a huge step toward de-escalating the ongoing bloody conflict that has continued for over two years.
In his social media update, Trump said that both parties have signed off on the first phase of the new peace deal, which includes the release of all hostages, 20 believed to be alive and 28 deceased bodies, as well as a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops to a “designated line.”
Trump described the agreement as a “first step toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace,” thanking the help from mediators in Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey for their role in the negotiations.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon,” the President wrote. “This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America.”
The deal’s timeline, according to Fox News, begins Thursday morning with the Israeli security cabinet’s approval. A 24-hour ceasefire will reportedly follow, after which Hamas has 72 hours to release the hostages, per reports from Israel’s TPS-IL news agency.
The Israeli Defense Forces will then allegedly withdraw to a line retaining control over 53% of Gaza until all hostages are returned. Israel will also release approximately 1,700 Gazans detained since the October 7, 2023, attacks, along with 250 Palestinians serving life sentences.
However, high-ranking Hamas commanders and members of the “Nukhba” terrorist group involved in the 2023 attacks are excluded from the release.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has endorsed the agreement, calling it a “diplomatic success” on X.
With the approval of the first phase of the plan, all our hostages will be brought home. This is a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel.
From the beginning, I made it clear: we will not rest until all our hostages return and all our goals…
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 8, 2025
Preparations are apparently underway in Israel to receive the hostages, with trauma facilities at Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center. A five-stage recovery plan will hopefully address immediate and long-term needs, tailored to each returning hostage’s physical and mental condition after their release.
The living hostages are expected to return by Sunday, with the deceased bodies to follow starting Monday. Trump is also scheduled to arrive in Israel on Sunday, coinciding with the anticipated returns.
Additionally, Hamas has previously indicated that they have problems in locating all the deceased hostages, which may complicate the 72-hour return timeline.