Israel and Hamas agree on ‘first phase’ of peace plan
Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a plan to pause fighting and release Israeli hostages and prisoners held in Gaza. Donald Trump announced the agreement overnight and the deal is expected to be signed on Thursday.
“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. All Parties will be treated fairly!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
He later said he expected the hostages to be released on Monday. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his government on Thursday to formally approve the deal. Hamas called on Trump to ensure Israel fully implements the ceasefire.
UN secretary general António Guterres says the organisation will support the “full implementation” of the deal and is urging all parties involved to “fully comply with the terms of the agreement”, including immediately allowing humanitarian supplies into Gaza.
“The suffering must end,” he wrote in a post on X. “I urge all stakeholders to seize this momentous opportunity to establish a credible political path forward towards ending the occupation, recognizing the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, leading to a two-state solution to enable Israelis & Palestinians to live in peace & security."
Three days of talks
The agreement was reached after three days of indirect talks in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Guterres praised the diplomatic efforts of the US, Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye, which mediated the deal.
Following the breakthrough, Foreign Affairs minister Maxime Prévot told VRT’s De Ochtend that Belgium would make every effort to provide humanitarian aid and evacuate wounded Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
“We have drawn up a list with the government of hundreds of people – women and children – who we need to evacuate,” Prévot said.
Humanitarian aid must also be resumed, he said. Belgium has not yet discussed sending peacekeeping troops to the region, as previously proposed by other countries.
Cautious optimism
“We have probably never been as close to peace as we are now,” said Prévot. He remains cautiously optimistic about the developments. Earlier this year, Israel violated an agreed ceasefire and continued to bombard the Gaza Strip. Prévot: “A ceasefire is not credible if bombing continues.”
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs welcomed the deal and said the EU would do what it could to support the implementation of the plan.
“The agreement on the first phase of the Gaza peace deal marks a significant breakthrough,” she posted on X. “This is a major diplomatic accomplishment and a real chance to end a devastating war and release all the hostages.”
People gather in Tel Aviv, Israel, to celebrate the news of the ceasefire deal © PHOTO ILIA YEFIMOVICH / DPA
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