US President Donald Trump said Thursday that the second phase of the agreement on Gaza will include “a disarmament”, in a context where Israel insists that the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas hand over its weapons.
“I’m not going to talk about that because you guys kind of know what phase two is. But… there will be a disarmament,”Trump told reporters at a cabinet meeting, emphasizing that “withdrawals” of Israeli forces are also planned.
Trump also expressed his optimism regarding the release of the hostages, stating that he is confident that they will finally be handed over to Israel"on Monday or Tuesday." Regarding the situation of the captives, the president explained:"We know where most (of the hostages) are. In reality, the bodies are a bigger problem because some will be a little harder to find. It's terrible to talk about, but (...) we'll do the best we can."
The Republican president considered that no other American president has had international relations like those he has cultivated during his term, and asserted that those connections helped to finalize the agreement between Israel and Hamas."I've never seen anything like it, but there really is peace in the Middle East," he said during the same cabinet meeting.
He also announced his intention to travel to Israel after a pending visit to Egypt, where he has yet to participate in a signing related to the process. He also predicted that Gaza will be rebuilt . “There is enormous wealth in that part of the world, and we're going to see big countries stepping up and putting a lot of money into it and taking care of things.”
Trump estimated that 28 hostages had been killed and that Hamas would soon release them, while the Palestinian terrorist group's death toll was estimated at around 70,000."At some point, all of that has to stop," he acknowledged, while praising both members of his administration and the countries that acted as mediators, including Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.
“The world has come together for this. People who didn’t get along, neighboring countries that frankly didn’t like each other (...) All Americans should be proud of the role our country has played in bringing this terrible conflict to an end,” Trump insisted to reporters.
Meanwhile, the Israeli government confirmed Thursday that the final version of the first phase of an agreement with Hamas for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages had been signed, which could end two years of armed conflict.
The agreement, based on a 20-point plan presented by Trump, will allow for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of approximately 2,000 Palestinians. Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian reported that the signing took place in Egypt following indirect negotiations in the town of Sharm el-Sheikh, mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Turkey. The implementation of the agreement still requires the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, scheduled for 3:00 PM GMT, after a prior meeting of his security cabinet.
The confirmation of the agreement sparked immediate reactions on both sides of the conflict. In the town of Khan Younis in the south of the devastated Gaza Strip, Palestinians cheered the news of the ceasefire, according to images released by AFP. In Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, families and residents expressed hope for the prompt release of the approximately 20 hostages who are still alive.
Netanyahu called the day “a great day for Israel” and said Trump should receive the Nobel Peace Prize, highlighting the US president’s central role in the negotiations. Despite the announcement, there are still outstanding issues, such as the disarmament of Hamas and the future government of Gaza. Trump indicated that the return of the hostages remains the priority, although he confirmed that disarmament will take place as part of the next stage of the process. Furthermore, Hamas rejected the proposal for a Trump-led transitional government in Gaza, a position confirmed by spokesman Osama Hamdan: “No Palestinian will be able to accept it. All factions, including the Palestinian Authority, reject it.”
Trump announced his intention to travel to Egypt for the signing of the agreement after being invited by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. For Israel, the ceasefire is expected to take effect 24 hours after approval by the cabinet, whose Likud-led coalition relies on support from far-right parties. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said he will not support the pact.
The agreement aims to end a conflict that began on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack on Israeli territory that left 1,219 dead, mostly civilians, according to figures based on official sources compiled by AFP. The Israeli response left at least 67,183 dead in Gaza, according to the Hamas government's Health Ministry, figures that the United Nations (UN) considers reliable.
Among the details of the agreement, Bedrosian stated that Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, a member of Fatah, Hamas's rival faction, will not be included in the prisoner exchange.
Despite the announcement of the pact, the bombing of Gaza continued. Following the news of the agreement, the Gaza Civil Defense reported renewed Israeli airstrikes. To implement the hostage exchange, the Israeli army announced preparations to withdraw its troops from 75% of the territory it controls in Gaza.
Trump used his Truth Social network to declare that "ALL hostages will soon be released and Israel will withdraw its troops to an agreed-upon line, as the first steps toward a strong, lasting, and eternal peace." Of the 251 hostages held by Hamas in 2023, 47 remain in Gaza and 25 have died, according to Israeli official data. The agreement provides for the entry of at least 400 trucks of humanitarian aid into Gaza daily in the first five days. The Egyptian Red Crescent confirmed that 153 trucks were already on the way.
A study published in The Lancet and funded by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) found that nearly one in six children in Gaza is suffering from acute malnutrition.
On the other hand, during his cabinet meeting, Trump emphasized that, according to him, this agreement marks the eighth conflict he has resolved as president and asserted that the war in Ukraine will be the next. He stated that his administration has achieved"something truly incredible that no one thought was possible," referring to peace in the Middle East. The US president mentioned that he has been recognized even by countries with which the US had tense relations, and he especially thanked Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia for their collaboration in the negotiations.
Trump maintained that even Iran supported the agreement and expressed his willingness to work with that country, provided it does not develop nuclear weapons. He noted the existence of"significant sanctions" on Iran and offered cooperation for reconstruction, provided the nuclear weapons commitment is respected.
Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, Trump lamented the estimated 7,000 deaths per week, mainly of young soldiers, and expressed his hope for a quick resolution to that conflict as well. He maintained that while geographic distance protects the United States, no one should be indifferent to human suffering.
Analysts and experts consulted by international media point out that, despite Trump's claims of multiple peace agreements, only fragile truces have been reached in several of these conflicts and no formal peace treaties have been signed. Both the Gaza and Ukraine peace processes, the president's two main promises, remain open and subject to negotiations.
