THE world cautiously awaits the breakthrough ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to come into effect – ending the devastation in war-torn Gaza.

The peace process began last night after Donald Trump announced a historic peace agreement had been reached between Tel Aviv and the terror group.

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United States President Donald J. Trump convened a roundtable on Antifa in the State Dining Room of the White House[/caption]

And it has kicked off the first phase of his comprehensive 20-point peace plan.

The deal marks a historic turning point in the two-year Gaza war that has killed tens of thousands and devastated the enclave.

Palestinians and the families of Israeli hostages broke into wild celebrations after Trump announced the peace deal.

Relatives of those still held in Gaza also hailed the announcement as a “historic breakthrough”.

In the next few days, both Israel and Hamas will take major steps that will cement the peace deal in place.

The Israeli security cabinet will convene today at 5pm Jerusalem Time (3pm BST) to discuss the Gaza agreement, before passing it on to the full cabinet for voting.

If the plan is approved formally – which it is widely expected to be – the ceasefire will go into effect within 24 hours, and Israeli troops will withdraw

The IDF will then withdraw its soldiers from the current frontlines to the agreed-upon lines.

Once that is complete, the 72-hour clock begins for Hamas to release the hostages it holds in Gaza, as per the comprehensive peace plan.

Hamas is then expected to release the hostages starting on Monday.

However, some officials think the terror group may start the process over the weekend.

Currently, 48 hostages remain in Hamas’ captivity, 20 of whom are believed to be still alive.

Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian revealed in a news briefing that a final draft of phase one of the deal was signed by all parties this morning.

Bedrosian said that a ceasefire will come into effect in Gaza within 24 hours after this evening’s Israeli cabinet meeting.

Previously, the ceasefire was expected to start immediately after the Israeli cabinet’s approval.

Fleets of trucks carrying food and medical aid would be allowed to surge into Gaza to relieve civilians, hundreds of thousands of whom have been sheltering in tents after Israeli forces destroyed their homes and razed entire cities to dust.

Meanwhile, Israel will release almost 2,000 Palestinians who were taken as prisoners.

Hamas demanded the release of the bodies of their terror masterminds, Yahya and Mohammad Sinwar, as part of the Gaza peace deal.

However, a senior Israeli official told CNN their bodies will not be handed over to the terror group.

Yahya was the mastermind behind the horrific October 7 attack, and continued to lead Hamas inside Gaza during the conflict.

He was taken out by a squad of trainee commandos on October 16, 2024 – just over a year into the fighting – and the assassination was caught on camera.

Mohammed, his brother, then assumed the role of Hamas’s leader in the Gaza Strip until he too was assassinated in May this year.

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Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip celebrate after the announcement[/caption]

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People in Israel celebrate after Trump announced the historic deal[/caption]

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Palestinians celebrate on a street following the news that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of the peace deal[/caption]

Thorns in the deal

But there is so much that could still go wrong

Uncertainty remains about some of the thornier aspects of the plan advanced by Donald Trump.

Israel and Hamas are yet to sign off on the final peace deal in full, which still requires Hamas to agree to complete disarmament. 

The deal also seeks a complete demilitarisation and deradicalisation of Gaza- and demands that Gaza be ruled by a transitional authority headed by Donald Trump.

These points have yet to be addressed in any discussions – and will likely cause friction in hammering out a final peace deal.

Hamas long refused to give up its weapons, saying it had a right to armed resistance until Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories ends.

For Israel, it’s a key demand.

Netanyahu has repeatedly said his campaign will not end until Hamas’ military capabilities are dismantled, including the network of tunnels built around the territory.

However, top diplomats involved in the mediation process say they are confident that a breakthrough is within reach.

According to diplomats, the signing follows days of marathon negotiations in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, where US, Israeli, Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators hammered out the final details.

The 20-point Trump plan, long dismissed as wishful thinking, now appears to be edging toward reality.

It calls for a Gaza ceasefire, the release of all hostages, Israeli troop withdrawal and Hamas disarmament and exclusion from future governance.

It also sees the creation of a Trump-led international body to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and transition to a new Palestinian administration.