‘The war in Gaza has ended’: Israel and Hamas sign off on Phase 1 of peace plan

President Donald Trump announced Oct. 8 that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on phase one of a peace plan aimed at putting an end to the bloodshed in Gaza.

“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace,” Trump stated in an announcement posted on Truth Social. “All Parties will be treated fairly!” 

“This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen,” he concluded. “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!” 

In an Oct. 8 X post, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the approval of the first phase of the plan means “all our hostages will be brought home” and hailed the development as “a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel.”

In an Oct. 8 Fox News Channel 9 interview with Sean Hannity, Trump confirmed the hostages will come home Monday. 

“It’s a great honor to be involved in it… The whole world came together, to be honest – so many countries you wouldn’t have even thought of came together,” Trump said. “The world has come together around this deal… So many countries you wouldn’t have expected have sent their best wishes and their commitment to do whatever is necessary. The surrounding countries have all signed on… It’s been really an amazing period of time. So great for Israel, for Muslims, for the Arab countries, and so great for this country.”

Trump also told Hannity that Gaza is expected to undergo reconstruction with the help of nearby countries.

“Gaza, we believe, is going to be a much safer place,” Trump said, “and it’s going to be a place that reconstructs – and other countries in the area will help it reconstruct because they have tremendous amounts of wealth and they want to see that happen.”

Barak Ravid of Axios reported that a senior U.S. official had told him: “The war in Gaza has ended.”