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.
