WASHINGTON DC: U.S. President Donald Trump announced that both Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of what he described as his administration’s “Peace Plan,” marking a potential turning point in the two-year conflict.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the deal ensures that “all of the hostages will be released very soon” and that Israel will “withdraw their troops to an agreed-upon line.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the development as “a great day for Israel” and is expected to convene a government meeting on Thursday to approve the agreement formally.

Hamas has also confirmed the deal, urging Trump and other mediating nations to ensure that Israel adheres fully to the terms of the agreement.

If implemented successfully, the accord could become a defining foreign policy milestone of Trump’s second presidential term, according to White House correspondents.

The negotiations were hosted in Egypt and come exactly two years and two days after Israel launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza.

The offensive followed the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 others taken hostage.

Since the start of the conflict, Israeli military operations have killed at least 67,183 people in Gaza, including 20,179 children, according to figures released by the Hamas-run health ministry.