Live Updates: Israel and Hamas Reach Deal on Hostage and Prisoner Exchange
President Trump said Israel would pull back troops in the first phase of the agreement, raising hopes that the two-year war in Gaza may be nearer to an end.
he felt “joy for the end of the war and the killing, and sorrow for everything we’ve lost.” Everyone, he added, was awake and glued to the news, waiting to hear when a truce might come into effect.
Surviving hostages: Israel believes that about 20 hostages are still alive in Gaza, and has been seeking the remains of about 25 others, out of about 250 who were captured two years ago.
Talks in Egypt: The negotiations in Egypt have been taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh and on Wednesday, the Trump administration’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff joined them, along with Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and former adviser on the region. Ron Dermer, an adviser to Mr. Netanyahu, and Qatar’s prime minister, were also present at the talks.
Trump’s Deadline: On Friday, Mr. Trump warned Hamas that many more of its fighters would be killed if the group did not agree to a deal by Sunday evening. Hamas on Friday said that it would agree to release all of the hostages held in Gaza, living and dead, but wanted to negotiate elements of the plan. That evening, Mr. Trump said that he believed Hamas was “ready for a lasting peace” and called on Israel to stop bombing Gaza.
Pressure on Israel: Israel’s Sept. 9 strike targeting Hamas representatives in Qatar rankled government officials both in the region and in Washington. But it also motivated an angry Mr. Trump and his advisers to pressure Mr. Netanyahu into supporting a framework for ending the war. Read more ›
Two-year war: The war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, after the Hamas-led attack on Israel, in which roughly 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. Since then, the Israeli military response has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, including both civilians and combatants, according to the Gaza health ministry, and destroyed the territory’s infrastructure.
