Israel and Hamas agree on Gaza ceasefire plan

An agreement was reached on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, said.

The details will be announced later, Ansari added in a post on X.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “With God’s help, we will bring them all home,” referring to Israeli hostages in Gaza, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had signed off on the first phase of a Gaza deal.

Netanyahu said he would convene the government to approve the Gaza ceasefire agreement aimed at bringing home all the Israeli hostages.

"A great day for Israel," Netanyahu added.

Celebrations continued at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv as dawn broke after Israel and Hamas reached an agreement to end the war in Gaza and return all the Israeli hostages, both living and deceased, home.

Families of hostages and former captives gathered at the square as news of the deal broke with the festivities featuring a person dressed as U.S. President Donald Trump waving U.S. and Israeli flags dancing alongside a musician playing guitar while families and supporters cheered and sang along.

Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of Trump's plan for Gaza, a ceasefire and hostage deal that could open the way to ending a bloody two-year-old war that has upended the Middle East.

Also Palestinians in Khan Younis took to the streets in celebration after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war.

Crowds gathered near Nasser Hospital, clapping and cheering, in what one Palestinian described as “historic moments” after two years of conflict.

The accord, if fully implemented, would bring the two sides closer than any previous effort to halt a war that had evolved into a regional conflict, drawing in countries, deepened Israel's international isolation and reshaped the Middle East.

Gaza authorities say more than 67,000 people have been killed and much of the enclave has been flattened since Israel began its military response to the Hamas cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage back to Gaza, according to Israeli officials, with 20 of the 48 hostages still held believed to be alive.