JERUSALEM - Israel and Hamas have agreed to the ‘first phase’ of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, which calls for a halt to fighting and the release of at least some hostages and prisoners. It is being seen as a step towards a breakthrough in ending the two-year-old war.
Under the plan, Hamas will release all 20 living hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in the coming days while Israeli forces begin withdrawing from most parts of Gaza. “With God’s help, we will bring them all home,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media.
Separately, Hamas said the deal would ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces, as well as the entry of aid supplies and the exchange of hostages and prisoners. However, uncertainty remains over more complex aspects of the peace plan, such as whether Hamas will lay down its arms and who will govern Gaza.
Hamas officials said about 2,000 prisoners would be released. A senior Hamas official said five border crossings would be opened to allow aid into the Gaza Strip, about 2,000 prisoners would be released and Israeli forces would withdraw from densely populated areas as part of a US-brokered deal to end the two-year war.
Osama Hamdan told pan-Arab Al-Araby TV that 250 prisoners serving long sentences would be released, in addition to the 1,700 taken prisoner during the war in Gaza.
“We have given the names of all the commanders we want released,” Hamdan said. “The Israelis must withdraw from all the heavily populated areas, especially Gaza City, Khan Younis, Rafah and northern Gaza,” he said.
According to Hamdan, the Israeli army is expected to withdraw on Friday but the withdrawal could begin late Thursday night. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to convene his security cabinet late Thursday night to approve the ceasefire. The full parliament will then meet to approve the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The ceasefire agreement and the prisoner release are both expected to pass by wide margins, despite right-wing ministers voting against them. After approval, Israel will publish a list of prisoners to be released. Victims of attacks by prisoners will have 24 hours to file a petition with the Israeli Supreme Court to block the release if they object.