The first phase of a peace deal between Israel and Hamas has been agreed upon by both parties according to US President Donald Trump.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that all hostages will be released as part of the agreement and Israel will withdraw their troops to “an agreed upon line”.

“The first steps toward a strong, durable, and everlasting peace,” he wrote.

“This is a great day for the Arab and Muslim world, Israel, all surrounding nations, and the United States of America.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to X to thank Trump for his efforts towards securing peace in the Middle East.

“Tomorrow I will convene the government to approve the agreement and bring all our dear hostages home,” he wrote on X. (This is the translation provided by X)

The announcement comes two days after the two year ‘anniversary’ of the October 7 attacks, when 251 people were abducted and over 1,250 were killed by Hamas and other militant groups. Since then, 148 of the hostages have returned to Israel, eight of which were rescued by Israeli forces. Out of the remaining hostages, 20 are believed to still be alive, with Hamas planning to release them this weekend, according to Associated Press.

In the two years since October 7, 66,148 Palestinians have died and almost 55,000 children in Gaza are currently malnourished according to a study by UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

Photo: by Jaber Jehad Badwan found HERE and used under a Creative Commons licence. The image has not been modified.