Trump: Gaza Ceasefire Deal Reached
BBC News
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US President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of his Gaza peace deal
In a post on social media, he writes "ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon" and "Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line"
Hamas has confirmed the deal – but it has not yet received the final list of prisoners that Israel plans to release in exchange, a Palestinian source tells the BBC
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu calls the agreement "a great day for Israel" and will convene his government on Thursday to approve it
A ceasefire will go into effect immediately after approval by the Israeli government around 14:00 Jerusalem time (12:00 BST), a senior Palestinian official says
Despite hopes this could lead to the end of the two-year war, crucial details still need to be discussed, writes our Middle East correspondent
The breakthrough in Egypt comes two years and two days after Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others as hostages
At least 67,183 have been killed by Israeli military operations in Gaza since then, including 20,179 children, the Hamas-run health ministry says
Edited by Alex Smith and Marita Moloney, with reporting from Rushdi Abualouf in Istanbul and Hugo Bachega in Jerusalem
Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent
The ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, announced after intense negotiations in Egypt, is a long-awaited breakthrough that brings them closer to ending the two-year-old war in Gaza.
But, despite the momentum, there is no guarantee that this will happen.
The main difference in these efforts has been the personal involvement of President Donald Trump, who has put pressure not only on Hamas but also on Israel for an agreement.
This is a major diplomatic victory for someone who wants to be seen as the man who ended the war – and, in the process, be rewarded for it.
What has been agreed is the first phase of a plan the president announced at the White House last week alongside the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been accused of sabotaging efforts for a deal in the past.
This time, Trump, reportedly impatient and irritated with Netanyahu, appears to have used the power only the Americans have to influence Israel, leaving the prime minister with no option other than engage with the process.
Threatened by Trump with “complete obliteration”, Hamas was under intense pressure too. Arab and Muslim countries embraced the president’s plan, and there was heavy involvement from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey in the negotiations.
This is, without a doubt, a significant moment but there is no guarantee that a peace deal for Gaza will happen, as crucial details still need to be worked out. They include the key Israeli demand that Hamas must disarm, the extent of the Israeli withdrawal and a plan for who will govern Gaza.
Alice Cuddy
Reporting from Jerusalem
I’ve just heard from Gil Dickman, whose cousin Carmel Gat was taken hostage on 7 October 2023, and her body recovered from a tunnel in Gaza almost a year later.
He has been joining other hostage families in pushing for a deal that brings the return of all those still being held in Gaza.
“I can’t quite believe this is actually happening. We’ve been waiting for so long and here it is,” he tells me.
He says he feels “broken” that Carmel will not be among those returning home but is “glowing with joy for the families of the hostages who are finally coming back”.Alice Cuddy
Reporting from Jerusalem
It’s early morning here in Jerusalem, and I’ve been starting to get reaction over messages from people in Gaza.
“I hope the coming days bring us happy news and that we and our loved ones live in safety,” Mousa, a doctor in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, tells me over WhatsApp.
“We have lost a lot during the two years of war. The Gaza Strip is destroyed. A difficult time still awaits us, but the important thing is we hope to be safe.”
In the south, pharmacist Suha Shaath said she was in disbelief.
“Until now, I don’t believe that this war could be ending and that I and still alive – we have survived this catastrophe,” she says.
As a reminder, Israel does not allow international journalists independent access to Gaza, so my communication with people there over the past two years has been over messages and phone calls.
The UN's humanitarian chief has just posted on social media about the Gaza peace deal.
"Great news. Let’s get the hostages out and surge aid in – fast," Tom Fletcher writes on X.
"Our teams are fully mobilised to get the trucks moving at scale and save lives."
He adds UN workers need "safe access" and it will provide regular updates on any developments.
For context: In late-August, famine was declared in Gaza with a report from the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification saying half a million people were starving in Gaza City. Israel has systematically obstructed food entering Gaza, aid agencies say. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies starvation is taking place in Gaza.
Jiyar Gol
BBC Persian
Despite being one of Hamas’s strongest military and financial backers, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been sidelined in recent peace negotiations.
Iran went to war with Israel in defence of Hamas, yet countries like Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt played the leading roles in brokering the first stage of the ceasefire deal.
Tehran, usually vocal in rejecting any agreement involving Israel or the United States, appeared noticeably cautious this time. Iranian officials refrained from direct criticism of the peace efforts, instead emphasizing that Hamas had not surrendered. Iran’s narrative now frames the outcome as a “victory” for Hamas — despite its limited influence over the diplomatic process.
Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer has responded to the news, saying: "This brings a huge sigh of relief to the hostage families, to all of Israel, and to Palestinians who have suffered for so long in this horrific humanitarian catastrophe."
"I hope and pray that all of the hostages are released, including the deceased hostages. Let me be clear: I will never give up until all of the hostages are home, including my constituents: Omer Neutra and Itay Chen. I've gotten to know their families well over the last two years, and I share their desperation to bring them home for proper burial and closure."
As we have been reporting, the full details of the first-phase ceasefire deal have not been disclosed officially. Here is what we know so far:
Here is what we know about how the coming days may unfold: A White House official said Israel's cabinet will hold a vote on the peace plan on Thursday.
If Israel agrees then, it will have 24 hours to withdraw its troops.
That would kick off a 72-hour window during which Hamas may release the remaining hostages. The official said the US expects the release of the 20 hostages to begin on Monday, although Hamas may move to release them earlier. Trump said the hostages "will probably be released on Monday".
Trump suggested on Wednesday that he may travel to the Middle East as the deal is being finalised late this week. He said he expects to arrive right around the time that the hostages are being released.
Here is what you need to know about Israel and Hamas agreeing to the first phase of Trump's Gaza peace deal:
Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem
“A big day for Israel,” the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on social media shortly after President Trump announced an agreement on the first stage of his plan. He’s expected to convene his government later to approve the deal. Hamas called on the US and other mediators to ensure that Israel implements the deal “without disavowal or delay”.
Joy as the news spread in the dark streets of Khan Younis in southern Gaza overnight – and in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, the mother of an Israeli held captive lit a firework celebrating what she hopes is her son’s imminent release.
A statement from the Hostages Families Forum expressed “profound gratitude to President Trump” for what it called an “historic breakthrough..”
Israel’s Security Cabinet is now due to meet followed by a full government meeting to authorise the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the hostages. Hamas has confirmed it’s waiting for final approval of the prisoner list. This is the third ceasefire reached since the start of a bloody war two years ago, and there’s hope on both sides that it marks a full end to the fighting.
It’s not clear if any international guarantees have been given to ensure that. There are also few details on thorny issues covered by the US peace plan. It requires Hamas to give up its weapons, something it’s repeatedly refused to do – and lays out plans for post-war governance and rebuilding of Gaza – much of which lies in ruins.
The mother of Matan Zangauker – one of the Israeli hostages being held in Gaza – has just posted on X about her son's potential return.
"Matan returns home to me, to (his sisters) Natalie and Shani, to (his partner) Ilana, the love of his life," writes Einav Zangauker.
"To you, to the country, I prayed for these tears."
Israeli President Isaac Herzog says the "heart of Israel beats as one with the hostages and their families" in a post on X.
He adds a quote from the prophet Jeremiah in his post: “They shall return from the land of the enemy… and children shall return to their borders."
Smoke rising over the Gaza Strip after an Israeli bombardment on 5 October 2025 as seen from the Israeli side of the border
Over the past two years, Israeli forces have destroyed much of Gaza and killed over 67,183 Palestinians, including 20,179 children, according to the territory's health ministry. Its figures are seen as reliable by the UN and other international bodies, although Israel disputes them.
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others as hostages.
Gaza's health ministry has said another 460 people have died from the effects of malnutrition since the start of the war, including 182 since a man-made famine was confirmed in Gaza City in August by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). Netanyahu has repeatedly denied starvation is taking place in Gaza and said Israel is facilitating deliveries of food and other aid.
If both Hamas and Israel abide by the initial peace deal, as many US politicians are hopeful they will, the war will come to an end.
But the recovery and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will take a long time:
A Palestinian child living in an accommodation centre is searching for something in the rubble of collapsed buildings in Khan Yunis, Gaza on October 08, 2025
Tents sheltering people displaced by war are pitched near the heavily-damaged Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani mosque in the southern Gaza Strip on October 6, 2025
Palestinian children collect usable belongings from the rubble after an Israeli strike on Abu Hasira Street in Gaza City on September 30, 2025
Dozens of mosques throughout the Gaza Strip, like this one in Gaza City, have been wholly or partially destroyed
Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza after heavy Israeli attacks in Gaza City
Smoke rises from a fire that broke out in a home after Israeli attacks in Gaza City
Palestinians check the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli strike the previous night in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip, on November 1, 2023
A child hides behind a structure as Israeli forces target an area of Gaza City
Civilians carry out search and rescue operations from the rubble after an Israeli attack at the school of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East at Nuseirat Refugee Camp in Gaza City on September 11, 2024
Injured Palestinians are rescued under the rubble after Israeli warplanes bombed houses around Kamal Advan Hospital in the town of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip on May 18, 2024
Smoke rises over destroyed buildings in Gaza City
Palestinians displaced by the war in Gaza tell the Associated Press that they hope the peace deal will allow them to leave the shelters and come home.
“I will rebuild the house, we will rebuild Gaza,” says Ayman Saber, who lives in Khan Younis.
Ahmed Sheheiber says he is waiting "impatiently" to return to his home in the Jabaliya refugee camp.
“It’s a huge day, huge joy,” he says.
Aid coordinator Eyad Amawi says he is worried Israel might put obstacles to the deal and that he feels a mix of happiness and sadness.
“We believe and don’t believe. We have mixed feelings, between happiness and sadness, memories, everything is mixed,” he says.
“We need to fix everything here, especially the psychological effects to (continue) with our lives,” he adds.
BBC's Gaza correspondent Rushdi Abualour details the role of mediators – how the delegations were never in the same room together – and the feelings in Gaza:
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'There is a sense of happiness' in Gaza, says BBC correspondent
The sound of cheers filled Hostages Square in Tel Aviv overnight as the families of Israelis still being held captive in Gaza celebrated the potential return of their loved ones.
Here are some of the latest images from Israel:
In this 75-second video, hear from BBC's US State Department correspondent Tom Bateman on the circumstances that led to US President Donald Trump pressuring Israel to make a deal with Hamas to end the war in Gaza.
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BBC's Tom Bateman on how Trump pressured Israel to make a deal
Here is more from UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's statement.
He says: “I am grateful for the tireless diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye and the United States, supported by our regional partners, in securing this crucial first step. This agreement must now be implemented in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza.
"We call on all parties to meet the commitments they have made, to end the war, and to build the foundations for a just and lasting end to the conflict and a sustainable path to a long-term peace. The UK will support these crucial immediate steps and the next stage of talks to ensure the full implementation of the peace plan."
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has responded to the news of Israel and Hamas agreeing to the first phase of the Gaza peace plan:
“I welcome the news that a deal has been reached on the first stage of President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza," he said in a statement.
“This is a moment of profound relief that will be felt all around the world, but particularly for the hostages, their families, and for the civilian population of Gaza, who have all endured unimaginable suffering over the last two years."
Reuters reports residents of Khan Younis in southern Gaza erupting in cheers following the announcement of a peace deal.
“Thank God, today President Trump announced that the war stopped, we are very happy that the war stopped, this is something joyful for us and we thank our brothers and anyone who contributed even if verbally to stop the war and to stop the bloodshed,” Wael Radwan tells the news agency.
“Thank God for the ceasefire, the end of bloodshed and killing. I am not the only one happy, all of the Gaza Strip is happy, all the Arab people, all of the world is happy with the ceasefire and the end of bloodshed. Thank you and all the love to those who stood with us,” says Abdul Majeed Rabbo.
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