After the historic signing of the peace agreement between Israel and Hamas, the terrorist group will release 20 hostages it had been holding captive
Netanyahu welcomed the agreement in a public statement in which he declared: "With God's help, we'll bring them all back home," referring to the Israeli hostages. Almost simultaneously, Donald Trump echoed the announcement on his Truth Social platform, claiming part of the credit for the diplomatic breakthrough.
This Wednesday, a significant breakthrough toward a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas was confirmed, with official statements from both U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who stated that Hamas has approved the first phase of the peace plan. According to Israeli television, the signing ceremony is scheduled for noon on Thursday in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The agreement includes the release of the 20 living hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, who would be handed over between the upcoming Saturday and Sunday. In exchange, Israel will release an as-yet unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners, whose list is being finalized in ongoing talks between Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya and senior Egyptian security officials.
According to media reports affiliated with the terrorist group, Hamas has agreed to release all living hostages as a single group as part of this first phase of the agreement. In addition, it has been agreed that the handover of the bodies of deceased hostages will be postponed until after an additional agreement is reached in Egypt, which would allow the initial stage of the process to move forward more smoothly.
The agreement also provides for the opening of five humanitarian crossings starting at noon on Thursday, allowing immediate aid to enter the Gaza Strip, a region severely affected by months of conflict, blockade, and humanitarian crisis. This measure aims to alleviate the situation of the civilian population and create a favorable environment for progress toward a more lasting ceasefire.
The negotiations, which are taking place in Egypt with the mediation of Egyptian, Qatari, and possibly U.S. officials, have included intense debates on the necessary guarantees to prevent an immediate resurgence of hostilities once the hostages are released.
According to Palestinian sources, one of the key points discussed this Wednesday was precisely the mechanism to ensure mutual compliance with the commitments, both by Israel and Hamas.
Although full details of the peace plan have not yet been published, everything indicates that it would be a phased process, with the possibility of expanding to a definitive cessation of hostilities if both parties fulfill what was agreed upon in this initial stage. The active participation of regional powers such as Egypt and Qatar has been key to bringing positions closer and achieving this progress.
