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Prime Minister Mark Carney said"it is a day for optimism" as Israel and Hamas agreed to the terms of a U.S.-brokered plan for peace in Gaza, paving the way for the release of the Israeli hostages and an end to the hostilities.

Carney said Canada is urging Hamas in particular to follow through on its part of the bargain, namely releasing all the hostages — including the bodies of the deceased — that it snatched and kept in captivity after its brutal Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Twenty of the 48 hostages still held by the group are believed to be alive, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

"The next 48 hours are crucial," Carney told reporters Thursday morning on Parliament Hill, ahead of a cabinet meeting.

WATCH | 'It is a day for optimism,' says Carney:

‘It is a day for optimism,’ says Carney on first phase of U.S.-proposed Israel-Hamas deal

October 9

Duration 0:52

Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill on Thursday, saluted U.S. President Donald Trump for his efforts on the U.S.-proposed peace plan between Israel and Hamas, and said he discussed with Trump how Canada can support the peace process during his recent Washington visit.

The agreement, which has not been published in its entirety but includes at least some sort of ceasefire, came about after sustained pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump and his Arab interlocutors on both sides to down their weapons after two years of bloodshed.

Carney saluted Trump for what he called his"effective leadership," which "made it possible" for the two sides to come together.

Carney also acknowledged the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, for helping pull together a plan for peace.

"The Qataris, the Egyptians and Turkey have been essential to get to this moment," he told reporters.

Carney said there may be a role for Canada in the days ahead.

Carney revealed Wednesday he had spoken to Kushner and former British prime minister Tony Blair, who Trump has said could run an international transitional body that would oversee the governance of post-war Gaza.

"The president and I discussed, in the White House, how Canada can support this process. We are supporting with humanitarian aid — there's other mechanisms that we can do to support it," Carney said."We're encouraged, but it's the first phase and there's more to come."

Return of hostages 'long awaited'

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Thursday securing the release of the hostages sometime over the next few days is the first priority and then figuring out what comes next "is on the table right now."

"The return of the hostages — this is so important for the peace plan to be able to continue. It has been long awaited," she said.

Anand said Canada is working with Trump and others on the U.S.'s 20-point peace plan.

That plan stipulates that once both Israel and Hamas accept the terms of the agreement,"full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip."

WATCH | Why this ceasefire deal could be different:

Why this Gaza ceasefire deal could be different from previous ones

October 9

Duration 9:03

Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a U.S. plan to end the war in Gaza. Janice Stein from the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy joins The National to discuss why this deal could lead to a lasting end to the conflict where previous ceasefires have broken down.

The plan also says Gaza will be a"deradicalized terror-free zone," protected by a temporary international stabilization force and governed by a Trump-chaired "board of peace" with no role for Hamas.

Anand said Canada has already put some $340 million on the table for humanitarian aid in Gaza, the third-highest commitment of any country.

WATCH | Transnational task force for Gaza 'still under discussion': Anand:

Transnational task force for Gaza 'still under discussion': Anand

7 hours ago

Duration 1:17

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says Canada is 'exploring all avenues' to ensure lasting peace from the Hamas-Israel ceasefire deal 'including governance of the future state of Palestine.'

As for Canada participating in a proposed transnational force to keep the peace in Gaza, Anand said"that's still under discussion."

The Canadian Armed Forces are already engaged in missions abroad — including Operation Reassurance in Latvia to protect NATO's eastern flank against Russia and Operation Unifier to train Ukrainian troops — and it's not clear if the military has the resources for another deployment.

Global Affairs Canada officials told the Senate foreign affairs committee on Wednesday that it's too soon to say whether Canada will be part of an armed mission to secure a ceasefire or truce in the Gaza Strip.

"I don't want to presume what the decisions will be. I can say we are actively speaking to our partners, so that if these negotiations are successful, if there is broad agreement to this plan, Canada will be ready to speak to how we can support it," said Stefanie McCollum, a director with the department's Middle East bureau.

Carney said last month that he was aware of calls for some sort of stabilization force involving European and Arab governments. He said Ottawa is looking at how it might contribute to those efforts.