President Donald Trump has confirmed that a landmark peace deal for Gaza has been reached, declaring it will be “a day of joy” as he revealed plans to travel to the Middle East to celebrate the historic agreement.
The US President announced that Israeli hostages held by Hamas “should be released Monday or Tuesday” as part of the first phase of his 20-point peace plan, which has seen both Israel and Hamas agree to pause fighting in Gaza.
Speaking at the White House, Trump expressed optimism about the breakthrough whilst acknowledging the complex logistics involved in securing the hostages’ release.
“Getting them is a complicated process. I would rather not tell you what they have to do to get them. There are places you don’t want to be,” he said, revealing that discussions were still ongoing to coordinate the release.
The President confirmed he would travel to the Middle East “very soon” but said the timing and details were still being worked out, marking what he described as a pivotal moment in the region’s history.
It’s really peace in the Middle East,” Trump declared, noting that he had proved sceptics wrong after many believed he would never reach a deal.
In his remarks, Trump reminded the public of the atrocities of the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel which killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. However, he also acknowledged the devastating toll on Gaza, noting that 70,000 people had been killed in the Palestinian territory.
“That’s big retribution. At some point the whole thing has to stop,” he said, emphasising the need for an end to the bloodshed.
The President expressed gratitude to regional leaders who played crucial roles in brokering the agreement, specifically thanking Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia for coming together to pressure Gaza into accepting the deal.
“Everything came together,” he said, crediting the collaborative diplomatic efforts that made the breakthrough possible.
Under the terms of the first phase of the peace deal, both Israel and Hamas have agreed to pause fighting in Gaza whilst the hostages are released. The agreement marks a significant diplomatic victory for the Trump administration following months of intensive negotiations.
Trump’s announcement represented the latest dramatic development in a fast-moving peace process that had captured international attention over recent days.
The breakthrough came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a theatrical intervention during the President’s public remarks about left-wing violence in the United States, dramatically interrupting proceedings to deliver urgent news from the negotiating table.
“I was just given a note by the Secretary of State saying that we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East, and they’re going to need me pretty quickly,” Trump told reporters gathered at the roundtable on Wednesday, signalling the imminent announcement.
The moment marked a turning point in what had been a grinding two-year conflict that devastated Gaza and held the world’s attention as diplomatic efforts repeatedly stalled.
Trump’s peace plan consists of 20 specific points aimed at achieving a lasting ceasefire, securing the return of Israeli hostages, dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities, and establishing a transitional governance structure in the Gaza Strip.
The agreement calls for the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas, with prisoner exchanges forming a key component of the first phase. Israel has agreed to withdraw troops to an agreed-upon line as initial steps toward what Trump described as a “strong, durable, and everlasting peace”.
The deal has received international backing, with multiple countries expressing support for the framework that could finally bring an end to the devastating conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions.
Regional powers including Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia played instrumental roles as mediators, pressuring both sides to compromise and reach an agreement that many thought impossible just weeks ago.
The breakthrough comes at a critical juncture, with Gaza lying in ruins after two years of intense fighting and the humanitarian situation described by aid agencies as catastrophic. The conflict has sparked global protests and placed immense pressure on world leaders to broker a lasting peace.
Trump’s involvement in the peace process has been characterised by aggressive diplomacy, with the President setting firm deadlines and threatening consequences for non-compliance whilst simultaneously offering incentives for cooperation.
The President had previously warned Hamas to accept his proposal by a specified deadline or face severe consequences, using his characteristic tough rhetoric whilst working behind the scenes with regional partners to secure agreement from all parties.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed cautious optimism about the deal, whilst Hamas officials have confirmed their agreement to the first phase, marking a rare moment of alignment between the bitter enemies.
The path ahead remains fraught with challenges, as the agreement must be implemented carefully to avoid the collapse that has plagued previous ceasefire attempts. Trust between the parties remains minimal, and contentious issues around Gaza’s future governance and security arrangements will need to be resolved in subsequent phases.
However, the announcement represents the most significant progress toward ending the conflict since it erupted following the shocking Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 Israelis and saw hundreds taken hostage in a coordinated assault that traumatised the nation.
Israel’s subsequent military response aimed to destroy Hamas’s military capabilities has resulted in unprecedented destruction across Gaza, with entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble and the territory’s infrastructure devastated.
The President’s planned visit to the Middle East would mark a high-profile celebration of diplomatic achievement, allowing Trump to personally witness the implementation of an agreement he has championed as proof of his administration’s effectiveness on the world stage.
As the world watches carefully to see if the fragile agreement holds, the focus now shifts to the practical challenges of implementing the deal, releasing hostages, facilitating prisoner exchanges, and beginning the long process of reconstruction and reconciliation.
Trump’s assertion that “everything came together” suggests a convergence of diplomatic pressure, regional cooperation and shifting calculations by the warring parties that finally created conditions for an agreement that had eluded negotiators for two years.
The coming days will prove crucial as the parties move from agreement in principle to concrete action, with the release of hostages serving as the first major test of whether the deal can survive the transition from negotiating rooms in Egypt to implementation on the ground in Gaza.
For families of hostages held for two years, the announcement brings hope tempered by caution, as previous agreements have collapsed and trust in promises remains fragile after months of disappointment and failed negotiations.
The President’s confidence in declaring “a day of joy” reflects his belief that this breakthrough represents a genuine turning point, one that could reshape the Middle East and deliver the peace that has proved so elusive throughout decades of conflict.
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Image Credit:
Marco Rubio (U.S. Secretary of State) briefing Donald Trump — photo by Evan Vucci / Associated Press, licensed under CC BY-2.0 (apnews.com)
