Indirect talks between Hamas and Israel, mediated by the United States, Qatar, Turkey and Egypt, yielded late Wednesday an agreement on the first phase of a U.S.-backed ceasefire plan for Gaza.
A senior Hamas official told Agence France-Presse the group will release 20 hostages in exchange for more than 2,000 Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel, including 250 serving life sentences and about 1,700 others, detained since the war began two years ago.
A Palestinian source familiar with the talks said the prisoner exchange is to be completed within 72 hours after the agreement takes effect.
The deal, expected to be signed later Thursday in Egypt, also calls for at least 400 trucks of humanitarian aid to enter Gaza daily during the first five days following the cease-fire, with the amount set to increase in the days ahead.
It also allows displaced residents from southern Gaza to return to Gaza City and to central and northern parts of the territory.
President Donald Trump said early Thursday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of his Gaza peace plan. Qatar confirmed both sides had agreed “on all terms and implementation mechanisms of the first phase,” which would halt fighting, free Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and allow aid to enter the Gaza Strip.
Hamas called on Trump and the guarantor countries to ensure Israel fulfills the agreement and does not delay or withdraw from its commitments.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the deal, urging its immediate implementation, the release of all hostages and prisoners, and the swift delivery of humanitarian aid through U.N. agencies. He also called for guarantees against displacement or annexation and for the start of reconstruction efforts.
