Israel and Hamas ‘sign off’ on first phase of Gaza peace deal

2 hours ago 2

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Steve Holland

Updated October 9, 2025 — 10.03am

Cairo/Washington: Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on the “first phase” of a plan to stop the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release hostages and prisoners after two years of bloody conflict, US President Donald Trump has announced.

“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, after earlier speaking to influencers at the White House.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday.

“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.”

The initial agreement was confirmed by Israeli officials and Hamas, as well as mediator Qatar. It was not immediately clear whether the parties had made any progress on thornier questions about the future of the conflict, including whether Hamas will demilitarise, as Trump has demanded, and eventual governance of the war-torn territory.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a great day for Israel, posting on social media: “With God’s help we will bring them all home.”

Trump said that the development marked a “historic and unprecedented event” that ensured all parties would be treated fairly.

“This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”

Earlier on Wednesday (Thursday AEST), Trump had said that a deal to end the two-year war in Gaza was “very close” and that he might travel to Egypt this weekend, after his envoys joined talks in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh overnight to try to seal a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement based on a 20-point plan Trump had presented earlier this month.

Hours before his Truth Social post, Trump offered an upbeat assessment, saying a deal was almost done and that he may travel to the Middle East this weekend, possibly leaving as soon as Saturday, if an agreement was reached. He later clarified that he likely would go to Egypt and the trip would probably be before or just after hostages were released.

“I was just given a note by the Secretary of State [Marco Rubio] saying that we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East, and they’re going to need me pretty quickly,” Trump said during an unrelated White House event.

Rubio’s note that was handed to Trump. The hand-scrawled note on White House stationery read, “You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first.”

The hand-scrawled note on White House stationery read, “You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first,” the Associated Press later reported.

The war in Gaza has evolved into a regional conflict since it began in response to a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, drawing in countries such as Iran, Yemen and Lebanon, and reshaping the Middle East.

Just a day after the second anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel that triggered Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza, negotiators handed over their lists of hostages and Palestinian prisoners to be freed in a swap with Israel.

Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Netanyahu, arrived and began participation in the negotiations overnight, Israeli and Palestinian sources said.

Also joining the discussions was the prime minister of longstanding mediator Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, according to Egyptian sources.

Despite the hopes raised for ending the war, crucial details are yet to be spelled out, including the timing, a post-war administration for the Gaza Strip and the fate of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Gaza authorities say more than 67,000 people have been killed and much of the enclave has been flattened since Israel began its military response to the Hamas cross-border attack on October 7, 2023. Around 1200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage back to Gaza, according to Israeli officials, with 20 of the 48 hostages still held believed to be alive.

In parallel with the Sharm el-Sheikh talks, Arab and other states will meet in Paris on Thursday to discuss Gaza’s post-war transition, with Washington likely to be represented, diplomatic sources said.

Hamas said on Wednesday it had handed over its lists of the hostages it held and the Palestinian prisoners held by Israel that it wanted to be exchanged, and was optimistic about the talks so far.

The list of Palestinians that Hamas wants freed is expected to include some of the most prominent prisoners ever jailed by Israel, whose release had been off limits in previous ceasefires.

According to a Palestinian source close to the talks, the list includes Marwan al-Barghouti, a leader of the Fatah movement, and Ahmed Saadat, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Both are serving multiple life sentences for involvement in attacks that killed Israelis.

Hamas says the indirect negotiations were focused so far on three issues: halting the conflict, withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza and the swap deal.

Smoke rises following an Israeli military strike in the northern Gaza Strip, seen from southern Israel on Wednesday.

The group has so far refused to discuss Israel’s demand that Hamas give up its arms, which the Palestinian source said Hamas would reject as long as Israeli troops occupy Palestinian land.

Two sources familiar with the talks confirmed that sticking points included the mechanism for the Israeli withdrawal, with Hamas seeking a clear timeline linked to the release of hostages and guarantees of a complete withdrawal by Israeli forces.

Within Gaza, Israel has dialled down its military campaign at Trump’s behest, but it has not halted strikes altogether. The Israeli military said its forces had killed several militants in Gaza City, Gaza’s main urban hub, who it said were on their way to attack Israeli soldiers.

Trump’s plan calls for an international body led by Trump and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to play a role in Gaza’s post-war administration. Arab countries which back the plan say it must lead to eventual independence for a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu says will never happen.

There is no clear indication who will rule Gaza when the war ends. Netanyahu, Trump, Western and Arab states have ruled out a role for Hamas, which has run Gaza since driving out Palestinian rivals in 2007.

Hamas has said it would relinquish Gaza governance only to a Palestinian technocrat government supervised by the Palestinian Authority and backed by Arab and Muslim countries. It rejects any role for Blair or foreign rule of Gaza.