WASHINGTON, Oct 9: US President Donald Trump said Hamas and Israel have agreed to the first phase of his ceasefire and prisoner exchange plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump announced that both sides had signed off on the “first phase” of what he called his Peace Plan, which includes the release of all hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops to an agreed line. Qatar, one of the main mediators, confirmed that an agreement had been reached and said further details would be shared later, according to Al Jazeera.
Trump made the announcement shortly after telling reporters that negotiations were going “very well” and that he might travel to the Middle East later in the week. Delegations from Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt, and the United States met in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for a third day of talks, working to finalize Trump’s 20-point proposal. The first stage calls for a ceasefire and the release of 48 Israeli captives, including 20 believed to be alive, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, Al Jazeera stated.
Hamas has submitted a list of detainees it wants freed as part of the deal. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer joined the discussions, alongside Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the Qatar-based news channel added.
Thousands celebrate in Gaza after Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreem...
The Hamas delegation includes senior figures Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, both of whom survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Doha last month, Al Jazeera mentioned.
Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq said his group welcomed the involvement of Qatar, Turkiye, and Egypt in the latest round of negotiations, noting that their participation had given the talks “a strong boost.”
A delegation from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is also expected to take part in the discussions in Cairo. The PIJ, Gaza’s second-largest armed faction, is holding several Israeli captives, Al Jazeera said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the talks had “made a lot of headway” and expressed optimism that a ceasefire could be declared soon.
But Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara said major disputes persist, especially over Israel’s withdrawal timetable, Gaza’s post-war administration, and Hamas’s political future. He added that while both sides have agreed on preliminary parameters for a prisoner swap, Israel insists the war will end only after Hamas disarms, according to Al Jazeera.
Despite the ongoing negotiations, Israeli forces continued attacks across Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry said at least eight Palestinians were killed and 61 others injured in the past 24 hours.
Gaza’s Government Media Office said Israel carried out 271 air and artillery strikes over five days, hitting crowded neighborhoods and displacement shelters, killing 126 civilians, including women and children. Seventy-five of the victims were from Gaza City, Al Jazeera stated.
Reporting from central Gaza’s az-Zawayda, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum said the situation remains bleak, with Israeli drones still targeting residential areas. He said locals believe mediators are pushing Israel to reduce its bombardment to allow Hamas fighters to retrieve bodies of Israeli captives as part of the ceasefire’s first phase, Al Jazeera mentioned.
The World Health Organization warned that only 14 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially operational, while just a third of its 176 primary health facilities remain functional. WHO regional director Hanan Balkhy said Gaza is suffering from severe shortages of electricity, medicine, and clean water, and that damaged health facilities have been hit multiple times, Al Jazeera quoted.
Health officials say Israel’s campaign has killed over 67,000 Palestinians, destroyed much of Gaza’s infrastructure, and displaced nearly all of its two million residents, according to Al Jazeera.
