Donald Trump recently revealed that a ‘peace plan’ has been agreed upon by Hamas and Israel, and he has also outlined the expected timeline for the release of hostages.
The president mentioned that he urged Israel to consent to a ceasefire in response to the ongoing bombings in Gaza that started in October 2023, following the attack led by Hamas on October 7.
Hamas has held Israeli hostages over the past two years, and their release is considered crucial for resolving the conflict that has resulted in significant casualties in Gaza.
In a significant update, Trump announced that he anticipates Hamas will release all the remaining Israeli hostages on Monday (October 13), after reaching a breakthrough in a peace agreement.
During an interview with Fox News, Trump stated, “The big thing is hostages are going to be released probably, our time, would be, probably Monday. They’re in a terrible situation there.”
“They’re deep in the earth, and they’re being gotten and a lot of things are happening right now as we speak. So much is happening to get the hostages freed, and we think they’ll all be coming back on Monday.”
On Truth Social, Trump further shared that both Israel and Hamas have endorsed the ‘first phase of our peace plan.’
The Republican leader wrote, “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. 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.”
“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. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
A senior White House official mentioned that the deal was set to be presented to the Israeli cabinet on Thursday (October 9) for approval.
“The deal goes to the Israeli cabinet tomorrow. Once they vote yes, Israel has to withdraw to the line which should take under 24 hours,” the official noted, according to the New York Post.
“Then the 72 hour clock begins, and Hamas will try to go earlier if possible. Our assessment is that hostages will begin getting released on Monday.”
The BBC reported that Trump’s proposed ‘initial withdrawal’ would see approximately 55 percent of Gaza under occupation, with a subsequent phase reducing it to about 40 percent.
The final withdrawal phase is expected to establish a ‘security buffer zone,’ leaving roughly 15 percent of Gaza occupied by Israeli forces.