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Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Israel has conveyed messages to Moscow expressing that it does not seek confrontation with Iran and wishes to resolve the situation peacefully.
DONALD Trump declared that Israeli hostages held in Gaza will be freed “Monday or Tuesday”.
The move is part of a landmark peace deal he insists could usher in “an everlasting peace” and the slow rebuilding of the devastated enclave.
President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday[/caption]
Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, as people celebrate after a peace deal is announced at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv[/caption]
The US president, who announced the historic breakthrough on Wednesday, said he hopes to attend a signing ceremony in Egypt marking the first phase of his sweeping 20-point Gaza peace plan.
“We are getting the hostages back on Tuesday, Monday or Tuesday, and that’ll be a day of joy,” Trump said at a White House Cabinet meeting.
It comes as Hamas officials hailed the breakthrough as a decisive end to the conflict.
The group’s Gaza chief declared: “We declare an end to the war today and the start of a permanent ceasefire,” saying the agreement also includes opening the Rafah crossing “in both directions” for people and goods.
Hamas added that it had received firm “guarantees from mediators and the US administration, all confirming that the war has completely ended” — the most definitive signal yet from the group that it accepts the new ceasefire terms.
The deal, struck after days of marathon talks in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh involving US, Israeli, Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators, aims to end two years of war that has killed tens of thousands and reduced Gaza to rubble.
Israel’s security cabinet meets today to approve the agreement, with a ceasefire expected within 24 hours.
The Israel Defense Forces will then pull back from current frontlines, triggering a 72-hour countdown for Hamas to release the hostages — 20 of whom are believed to be still alive.
Hamas is expected to begin freeing captives as early as Sunday.
In return, Israel will release around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences.
Up to 600 aid trucks a day are poised to surge into Gaza, where hundreds of thousands have been sheltering in tents after cities were flattened.
Trump said Gaza would be “slowly redone,” declaring: “You cannot live right now in Gaza. We will create something where people can live.”
News of the peace deal sparked jubilant scenes across Israel and Gaza.
Hostage Square in Tel Aviv erupted in dancing and chants of “Bring Them Home” as US flags waved alongside Israeli banners and “I love Trump” signs.
Rebecca Bohbot, wife of hostage Elkana, 36, beamed: “For two years I have been fighting for the life of my man.
“This is the moment that a little boy will return to hug his father, a moment when my family comes back to life.”
Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip celebrate after the announcement[/caption]
People celebrate after a peace deal is announced at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel[/caption]
Palestinians gathered in the city of Khan Yunis are celebrating after the announcement of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza[/caption]
Silvia Cunio, mother of hostage David, 34, sobbed: “I dream of the hugs, the kisses. I thank everyone for the warm embrace these past two years — it gave me the strength to keep going.”
Danny Miran, whose son Omri, 48, is held in Gaza, said: “My two eldest granddaughters came over, and we danced together in the hallway. I’ve been waiting more than two years for this moment.”
But the joy was bittersweet for families bracing to receive the remains of 28 hostages.
Rotem Cooper, whose father Amiram died in captivity, said: “Receiving my father’s body will give us some kind of closure.
“But if this deal had been done sooner he might still be alive today.”
Despite the euphoria, major obstacles remain at the destroyed enclave.
The deal still requires Hamas to agree to full disarmament, deradicalisation and exclusion from future governance — demands that could yet derail the process.
Israel has made clear it will not end its campaign until Hamas’s military capability, including its tunnel network, is dismantled.
Hamas is also demanding the return of the bodies of Yahya and Mohammad Sinwar, the brothers who led the group during the war before being assassinated by Israeli forces. But Israel has refused.
People on Rashid Street in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, amid smoke from an attack and surrounding destroyed buildings[/caption]
A Palestinian woman builds a fire as a girl child looks towards it while beside a tent[/caption]
Under Trump’s plan, Gaza will ultimately be governed by a transitional authority overseen by an international body — potentially led by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair — before being handed back to a new Palestinian administration.
Trump, who is widely seen as a frontrunner for the Nobel Peace Prize to be announced this week, said he would travel to the Middle East “very soon” and may even visit Gaza.
“All Parties will be treated fairly!” he posted on Truth Social.
“This is a great day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America. Blessed are the peacemakers.”
By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter
While the conflict between Israel and Palestine dates back decades, the current fighting erupted two years ago when Hamas fanatics attacked Israel in a massive terror attack.
On October 7, 2023, Islamists terrorists stormed the border between Gaza and Israel, slaughtering over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping 250 civilians.
Since then, Israel has almost completely destroyed the strip in an effort to eradicate the group and bring home its trapped people.
Tel Aviv’s retaliatory assault and siege on Gaza created a devastating humanitarian crisis, perpetuating a brutal cycle of attack and counter-attack.
Amid international cries for peace, Israeli PM Netanyahu vowed not to stop until Hamas is destroyed.
His goal to deradicalise Gaza – and the terror group’s existential struggle – created a political and military stalemate in the narrow strip.
The sheer scale of destruction and hardening of positions made it difficult for diplomats to adopt a political solution.
However, with Donald Trump’s proposed 20-point peace plan for Gaza, an end to the bloody war looks near.
‘Moment of profound relief’ as first stage of peace deal agreed and Donald Trump plans Middle East visit for release of hostages
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