President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas both agreed to the "first phase" of a peace plan that would end the war in Gaza, which was later confirmed by both parties on Wednesday (October 8)

"I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account. This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace," Trump wrote. "All Parties will be treated fairly! 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. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!"

Hamas shared its own statement confirming the agreement, which was obtained by NBC News.

"After responsible and serious negotiations between the movement and the Palestinian resistance factions regarding President Trump’s proposal in Sharm el-Sheikh, with the goal of reaching an end to the war of extermination against our Palestinian people and the occupation’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announces the conclusion of an agreement stipulating an end to the war on Gaza, the occupation’s withdrawal from it, the entry of aid, and a prisoner exchange," the statement said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also acknowledged the agreement in a post shared on his X account.

Bill Handel