Street Calls of the Week
Investing.com-- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had signed off on the first phase of a U.S.-brokered peace deal, allowing for the release of all hostages by Hamas soon.
Trump said Israel will withdraw its troops to an “agreed upon line.”
“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,” Trump said in a social media post.
The U.S. President had in late-September unveiled a 20-point plan to halt the two-year war between Israel and Hamas, with the plan being viewed as the most comprehensive attempt at a ceasefire so far.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had also backed the deal, which proposes an immediate ceasefire, a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a full exchange of Hamas hostages for Palestinians detained by Israel, and the disarmament of Hamas.
Most notably, the 20-point plan involves the establishment of a transitional, third-party government in Gaza. Trump also called for the eventual establishment of a special economic zone in Gaza, and an eventual path towards Palestinian self-governance in the region.
News of Israel and Hamas accepting the deal comes just days after the two-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war, which began in October 2023 after Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups launched a surprise attack on Israel. Nearly 2,000 people were killed in the attack, while 251 people were taken hostage.
The attack sparked an Israeli offensive against Gaza that is estimated to have killed over 67,000 Palestinians over the past two years, and also sparked a humanitarian crisis in the region.