[Qatar Prime Ministr Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani shaking hands with Israeli negotiator Ret. Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon, signaling a breakthrough in ceasefire talks.]
The Palestinians in Gaza, relatives of the captives and hostages in Israel, and people across the world are celebrating the announcement of ceasefire between Hamas and Israel after 733 days of brutal war.
The announcement of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel first came from U.S. President Donald Trump.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan... BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS”, Trump wrote on X.
Trump called the day a historic and great day for everyone – especially in Israel, and the Arab and Muslim world.
“It has really been an amazing period of time — so great for Israel, so great for Muslims, for the Arab countries, and so great for this country... that we could be involved in making a deal like this happen”, Trump said.
Talking to Fox News, Trump cited a coalition he formed with “the same Arab nations that were reluctant for decades to be part of a solution for peace in Gaza.”
"I develop relationships with people — and sometimes those relationships lead to great things...", he told the American broadcaster.
The first phase of Gaza Peace Plan involved prisoners’ exchange. Some 20 living captives with Hamas and other Resistance groups will be exchanged with over 2,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails. The figure includes 250 serving life sentences and 1,700 others detained since the start of the war in 2023.
Hamas has also agreed to handover the dead bodies of the remaining captives but it has now turned out tracing all dead bodies will take time.
[Hamas delegation led by Chief Negotiator Khalil Al Hayya (second from left) in Sharm al Shiekh, Egypt during the peace talks]
“After 733 days of genocide, ethnic cleansing, destruction, mass killings, bombings, starvation, forced displacement, and over 70,000 killed with tens of thousands injured and missing, Gaza ceasefire agreement has been reached”, Quds News Network which keeps track of the happenings in Gaza and West Bank since Oct 7, 2023 announced the development in these words.
The signing of an agreement on the first stage of the Gaza Ceasefire deal is expected to take place in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh today at 12 p.m. Egypt time.
The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said that an agreement had been reached to end the war on the Gaza Strip, allow the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces, the entry of aid, and a prisoner exchange. In a statement, Hamas said the Palestinian resistance factions have reached an agreement to:
In the statement, Hamas further said that the deal guarantees “an end to the genocidal war against our Palestinian people, the withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip, the entry of humanitarian aid, and a prisoner exchange.”
Hamas also praised the efforts of the mediators and US Trump saying his role as a guarantor will be crucial for the ceasefire to hold.
“Hamas highly values the efforts of mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, and acknowledges U.S. President Donald Trump’s role in pursuing a complete ceasefire and full withdrawal from Gaza.
“Hamas calls on President Trump, the guarantor states, and all Arab, Islamic, and international parties to ensure Israel fully implements the agreement without evasion or delay”, Hamas said.
Hamas also saluted the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in Gaza, the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the diaspora, praising their “unparalleled courage and sacrifice in confronting the occupation’s fascist schemes.”
“The sacrifices of our people will not go in vain. We remain committed to our national rights until freedom, independence, and self-determination are achieved,” Hamas affirmed.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a statement also welcomed Trump’s announcement of “the agreement to stop the war on the Gaza Strip.”
“We hope these efforts will be a step toward achieving a lasting political solution, as President Trump stated”, he said.
Reacting to the deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement released by his Jerusalem office, said, “A big day for Israel.”
“Tomorrow I will convene the government to approve the agreement and bring all our dear hostages home”, he said and thanked Israeli soldiers for “their courage and sacrifice”.
Meanwhile, cheers of celebrations filled the streets in Gaza as news broke of a ceasefire after two years of devastating Israeli war. Celebrations also erupted outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis after the ceasefire agreement was announced late last night.
Relatives of the Israeli captives are also seen celebrating the ceasefire announcement despite rains at the Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. Some of the families and former captives gathered at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where mass weekly rallies have been held to call for the hostages’ return, as they cheered the news and chanted “Nobel Prize to Trump” while vowing to continue demonstrating until the slain hostages in the Gaza Strip are brought back to Israel.
In a video shared by Quds News Network, Palestinian Journalists in Gaza City are seen walking through the streets to inform families about the ceasefire agreement, amid widespread power and internet outages.
Palestinian Journalists in Gaza City are walking through the streets to inform families about the ceasefire agreement, amid widespread power and internet outages. pic.twitter.com/OVrSCPqSSP
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 9, 2025
The fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel comes after two years of war which started on October 07, 2023 following the Operation al Aqsa Flood.
Over 1,100 were killed in the Operation Al Aqsa Flood by the Palestinian Resistance Fighters, tired of continuation of the illegal Israeli occupation, humiliation, harassment and targeting.
The Palestinian fighters had taken 251 others as prisoners and hostages. Some 203 have been earlier exchanged in previous deals, broken by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IDF).
In the pretext of taking revenge of Oct 7 attack, far right Zionist regime in Israel killed more than 67,000 Palestinians – majority of them women and children, and turned into debris about 83% of Gaza Strip.
Saudi Arabia has welcomed the agreement reached on Gaza, expressing appreciation for the role played by US Donald President Donald Trump and the mediating countries.
“The Kingdom appreciates the effective role of US President Donald Trump and the mediation efforts made by our brothers in the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Republic of Turkey to reach this agreement”, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.
Saudi Arabia said the end of war Gaza will lead to urgent action to alleviate the humanitarian suffering of “the brotherly Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, achieve a complete Israeli withdrawal, restore security and stability, and initiate practical steps to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the New York Statement on a peaceful solution to the Palestinian issue and the implementation of the two-state solution.”
[Gaza after two years of war.]
While welcoming the establishment of the ceasefire in Gaza, Türkiye said it hoped that the deal will bring an end to the genocide that has continued for the past two years. We expect the ceasefire agreement to be fully implemented.
“With the ceasefire in place, it is imperative that humanitarian aid be delivered to Gaza - where a humanitarian catastrophe has been unfolding, and that efforts for the reconstruction of Gaza be launched without delay”, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Türkiye said in a statement.
Türkiye also said that lasting peace in the Middle East can only be achieved through a just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian question and with the establishment of a Palestinian State.
“We hope that the momentum achieved in the ceasefire negotiations will also contribute to the realization of a two-state solution in the coming period”, it said.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres also welcomed the Hamas and Israel peace deal.
In a statement on social media platform X, Guterres said, “I welcome the announcement of an agreement to secure a ceasefire & hostage release in Gaza, based on the proposal put forward by [US President Donald Trump]. I commend the diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, Egypt & Turkiye in brokering this desperately needed breakthrough.”
He urged all parties to "seize this momentous opportunity" and "abide fully by the terms of the agreement." He stressed the need to ensure immediate and unhindered access for humanitarian supplies and essential commercial goods into Gaza.
“I urge all stakeholders to seize this momentous opportunity to establish a credible political path forward towards ending the occupation, recognizing the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, leading to a two-state solution to enable Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security”, Guterres said.
Reacting to the deal, French President Emmanuel Macron said France will continue to hold talks with international partners on ending fighting in Gaza and establishing a Palestinian state.
“This agreement must mark the end of the war and the beginning of a political solution based on the two-state solution”, Macron wrote in a post on social media platform X.
“France stands ready to contribute to this goal. We will discuss it this afternoon in Paris with our international partners”, Macron, who in an unprecedented diplomatic efforts with Saudi Arabia succeeded in convincing a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Austalia to recognize the State of Palestine, added.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also welcomed the Gaza Peace Deal and urged that the agreement on the first stage of Trump’s plan for Gaza must be implemented in full without delay.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters also welcomed the deal, and urged Israel and Hamas both to continue working towards a complete resolution.
On the other hand, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said his far-right Religious Zionism party will not vote in support of a Gaza ceasefire deal that will see hostages freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a halt to fighting in Gaza. The Israeli cabinet is likely to vote on the deal at 05:00 pm today.
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