Israel, Hamas agree on Gaza ceasefire

Israel and Hamas have agreed on the first phase of a ceasefire plan in Gaza, bringing relief to Palestinians living in the destroyed enclave.

The first phase involves the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and an end to hostilities.

US President Donald Trump first announced the breakthrough in a post on social media on Wednesday night.

Qatar, a key mediator in the ceasefire talks, confirmed the development, saying an agreement has been reached on “all the provisions and implementation mechanisms” of the first phase of a ceasefire plan.

“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of our peace plan,” the US president wrote on his Truth Social platform. He added: “All the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel withdraw their troops to an agreed upon line.”

Mediator Qatar said that more details of the agreement would be announced at a later date.

“The mediators announce that tonight an agreement was reached on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid. The details will be announced later,” Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al-Ansari wrote on X.

Senior officials from Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt and the US joined the delegations in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday, the third day of the talks. Mediators pressed the two sides to resolve their differences over Trump’s 20-point proposal, dubbed Trump’s Peace Plan.

The first phase calls for a ceasefire and the release of 48 Israeli captives held in Gaza, including 20 who are believed to be alive, and the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Hamas has submitted its list of detainees to be freed as part of the proposed swap.

Prime Minister Robert Abela welcomed the truce announced by President Trump. “The recognition of the State of Palestine, including by Malta, sends a timely message: Everyone deserves to live in peace and prosperity,” Abela wrote on X.

@MaltaGov welcomes @POTUS's remarks on the first phase of a peace deal leading to a ceasefire in Gaza & the release of hostages.

The recognition of the State of Palestine, including by 🇲🇹, sends a timely message: everyone deserves to live in peace & prosperity. - RA

— Robert Abela (@RobertAbela_MT) October 9, 2025

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement in the Gaza Strip.

“I commend the diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye in brokering this desperately needed breakthrough. I urge all concerned to abide fully by the terms of the agreement,” Guterres said in a post on X.

Negotiations came to a head on Wednesday with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff, as well as Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer—a close aide of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—understood to have been present, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources who spoke to Qatari network Al Jazeera.

Also joining the discussions was the prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

News of the ceasefire was greeted with optimism in Gaza after two years of relentless bombing and widespread destruction. More than 60,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s genocidal campaign that also included the use of starvation as a weapon of war.

Entire neighbourhoods in Gaza have been reduced to rubble, hospitals, schools and other public infrastructure have been destroyed, and families displaced multiple times.

In Israel, relatives of the hostages who have been held captive since 7 October 2023 following the murderous Hamas raids into Israel, gathered at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv after news of the ceasefire broke.