Israelis and Palestinians celebrated on Thursday after a ceasefire and hostage release deal was reached under the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan to end the Gaza war, a conflict that has killed more than 67,000 people and reshaped Middle Eastern geopolitics.
The agreement came just a day after the second anniversary of Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered Israel’s devastating military campaign in Gaza. The talks, mediated indirectly in Egypt, produced an initial accord within Trump’s 20-point peace framework.
Celebrations erupted in Gaza, Tel Aviv, and across the region, with Israeli families of hostages setting off fireworks and Palestinians cheering in the streets.
“Thank God for the ceasefire, the end of bloodshed and killing,” said Abdul Majeed abd Rabbo from Khan Younis, reflecting the collective relief across Gaza.
Despite the euphoria, the deal lacks key details and could collapse like past peace efforts, experts warn. Trump announced on Truth Social that “all hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw troops to an agreed line,” calling it the first step toward a “Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed he would seek cabinet approval, calling the deal a “national and moral victory” that would ensure the safe return of all hostages.
For Trump, the accord could become his most significant foreign policy win, after pledging to bring peace to major conflicts, including Gaza and Ukraine.
Hamas confirmed it had agreed to end the war, with terms including an Israeli withdrawal and a hostage-prisoner exchange. “Our people’s sacrifices will not be in vain,” Hamas said, vowing to continue seeking freedom, independence, and self-determination.
Since the start of Israel’s military response in 2023, Gaza authorities report over 67,000 deaths, widespread destruction, and humanitarian collapse.
Israeli officials say 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage during Hamas’s original assault, with 20 of the remaining 48 hostages believed to be alive. A hostage release is expected within 72 hours of the Israeli cabinet’s approval.
The ceasefire has been welcomed globally, though skepticism remains over Gaza’s post-war governance. Trump’s plan envisions an international administration for the enclave, potentially led by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, while Arab nations insist the deal must lead to Palestinian statehood.
Netanyahu, however, has ruled out such a state, saying “Israel will never allow a Palestinian state on its borders.”
Meanwhile, oil prices dropped as markets reacted to the reduced risk of conflict-related supply disruptions.
For now, both Israelis and Palestinians are cautiously hopeful that this ceasefire — fragile though it may be — could finally mark the beginning of an end to one of the deadliest wars in modern Middle Eastern history.
