‘ALL of the Hostages Will Be Released Very Soon’

‘With God’s help we will bring them all home,’ Netanyahu says

Israel and Hamas “both signed off” Wednesday evening on the opening phase of a ceasefire pact to end the war in Gaza that began two years ago after Hamas slaughtered more than 1,200 civilians in its Oct. 7 terror spree, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday evening.

The tentative agreement, which is expected to be formally signed on Thursday in Egypt, “means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon,” Trump said in a Truth Social post, less than an hour after Israeli media began reporting that a ceasefire was imminent. Hamas agreed to release all of the living Israel hostages by Saturday, according to the Times of Israel, and those who died in captivity will be returned to the Jewish state shortly thereafter.

Israel, in turn, will end its military operations in Gaza, which continued into Wednesday afternoon, and “withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line,” according to Trump. Initial reports suggested that Israel will evacuate around 70 percent of Gaza, holding a security perimeter as Hamas prepares the hostages for release.

“All Parties will be treated fairly!” Trump wrote. “This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen.”

Just as Trump publicly announced the deal, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X: “With God’s help we will bring them all home.” In a subsequent post, Netanyahu called the announcement a “great day for Israel,” adding that he will convene the government Thursday “to approve the agreement and bring all our dear hostages home.”

Qatari foreign minister Majed al-Ansari said on X that an agreement was reached on “all the provisions and implementation mechanisms” for the ceasefire’s first phase. This will “lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid,” he said, adding that details will be “announced later.”

It remains unclear if Hamas committed to several key provisions in Trump’s 20-point peace plan, chief among them a demand that the terror group fully disarms and relinquishes control of Gaza. This had previously been a sticking point in negotiations, with Arab nations leaning on Hamas to accept Trump’s terms.

Hamas’s top Gaza official, Khalil al-Hayya, was reportedly in Egypt on Wednesday to put what Reuters called the “finishing touches” on a “historic” peace accord with Israel.

The Hostages Family Forum, an Israeli advocacy group, welcomed the ceasefire deal in a statement.

“This is important and significant progress toward returning everyone, but our struggle has not ended and will not end until the last hostage returns,” the organization said.

Republican leaders in Congress praised Trump for bringing about a ceasefire pact that seemed all but impossible just several weeks ago.

“This deal offers a path forward, but only if Hamas honors its commitments,” Rep. August Pfluger (R., Texas), chair of the House Republican Study Committee, said in a statement provided to the Washington Free Beacon.

“We remain vigilant and eager to see this agreement implemented completely. President Trump and Secretary Rubio’s continued leadership is essential to ensuring lasting peace and the safe return of all the innocent people still held captive.”