Israel and Hamas agree to first phase of Gaza peace plan

Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of the peace plan, paving the way for a possible end to the conflict in Gaza.

Sources told the BBC that under the plan, Hamas would release the 20 hostages it still holds, while Israel would withdraw its forces to an agreed-upon line and release nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees.

World, Palestinian and Israeli leaders welcomed the news, but details remain scarce, and other crucial steps, such as who will govern Gaza, are still under discussion.

This long-awaited breakthrough raises hopes for a lasting peace in the conflict that has lasted two years and two days and claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a “great day for Israel” and said he would meet his government on Thursday to approve the agreement.

A senior Palestinian official told the BBC that if the ceasefire is approved, it will go into effect immediately after the meeting, which will be held at around 14:00 local time (12:00 GMT).

They added that Israel will allow 400 aid trucks to enter Gaza daily during the first five days, with the number gradually increasing in later stages.

Hamas confirmed that the agreement includes an Israeli withdrawal from parts of Gaza and the introduction of aid into the Palestinian territories. It called on US President Donald Trump to ensure Israel’s compliance.

A senior White House official told CBS News, the BBC’s partner in the US, that the withdrawal of Israeli forces would likely take less than 24 hours.

Once this is completed, Hamas will have 72 hours to release the hostages the armed group took from Israel when it launched its attack on October 7, 2023, and who remain in Gaza.

The hostages could be released on Monday, according to US President Donald Trump, who was the first to announce that an agreement had been reached.

What Hamas and Israel agreed to after three days of indirect talks in Egypt is largely the first part of an agreement Trump’s 20-point peace plan At the end of September.

A Palestinian official said that the “yellow line” To which Israeli forces will withdraw under Trump’s plan It has been modified to reflect Israel’s security requirements and Hamas’ need to secure the release of Israeli hostages.

The line initially proposed by the White House would have left the Gaza Strip 55% occupied by Israeli forces.

Hamas officials told the BBC that the list of prisoners it submitted to mediators in Egypt for Israel’s release includes prominent figures such as Marwan Barghouti. Many Palestinians view him as a future president. It is unclear whether Israel agreed to his release.

But there are still few details about what else has been agreed.

The initial agreement reached on Wednesday evening is not a comprehensive agreement either Other major sticking pointsMatters are still being negotiated, including the disarmament of Hamas and future governance in Gaza.

Trump’s plan proposes forming an interim transitional government led by an international committee and supervised by Trump and former British Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair.

Hamas will be prevented from playing any role in Gaza, and there are expectations that the Palestinian Authority, which rules the West Bank, will eventually take over.

Netanyahu and Trump exchanged congratulations on the “historic achievement” during a “moving” phone call, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.

Later, Trump told Fox News that the agreement would lead to a “different world.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said: “At this moment, Israel’s heart beats with the hostages and their families.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the agreement as a “critical opportunity,” adding that the United Nations would support the “full implementation” of the deal, increase the delivery of humanitarian aid and strengthen reconstruction efforts in Gaza.

Israel and Gaza witnessed celebrations after news of the deal, although some are still there Handle it with understandable caution.

In Tel Aviv’s hostage square, the families of the remaining hostages set off fireworks and cheered.

Avishai David, the father of Israeli hostage Eviatar David, said he felt “tremendous excitement, even though at the moment it is just ink on paper.”

He added: “I want to see it, feel it, touch it. Only then will I know that this is real, because everything can still change.”

Hamas is holding 48 hostages in Gaza after they were released during a previous ceasefire, and 20 of them are believed to be still alive.

Palestinians in Gaza took to the streets on Wednesday night, chanting and cheering the announcement.

Musa, a doctor in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, told the BBC: “We have lost a lot during two years of war. The Gaza Strip has been destroyed. A difficult time still awaits us, but the important thing is that we hope to be safe.”

Provided that negotiators can continue to reach agreement on outstanding sticking points, Wednesday’s agreement could be the first step toward ending the bloody and destructive war.

The Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which sparked the final phase of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the taking of 251 hostages.

Israeli forces have since killed at least 67,183 people, including 20,179 children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. Its numbers are considered reliable by the United Nations and other international bodies.

The ministry said a further 460 people had died from malnutrition, including 182 since famine was confirmed in Gaza City in August by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). Israel has imposed restrictions on the delivery of aid, which it says Hamas fighters are taking away from civilians.

Netanyahu has repeatedly denied there is a famine in Gaza and said Israel is facilitating the delivery of food and other aid.

In September, a UN commission of inquiry said Israel has committed genocide against the Palestinians In Gaza. Israel categorically rejected the report, describing it as “distorted and false.”