Israel–Hamas agreement could be signed as early as today
Photo: Donald Trump, President of the United States (Getty Images)
A peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas could be signed on Thursday, October 9, in Egypt, according to the White House roundtable on October 8 and CNN.
In Washington, news of progress on the Gaza ceasefire agreement emerged during a White House roundtable attended by US President Donald Trump.
During the meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio entered the room, briefly took a seat, then walked up to Trump, whispered something in his ear, and handed him a handwritten note reading:
"You should approve the Truth Social post as soon as possible so you can be the first to announce the deal."
Moments later, the president told reporters he had been informed about a "very close" agreement concerning the release of hostages and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
"I was just given a note by the secretary of state saying that we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East, and they’re going to need me pretty quickly," the president said.
Source: Video screenshot
Peace visit
Donald Trump told reporters he is likely to travel to Egypt in the coming days, as "everybody is gathered right now."
"We haven’t decided exactly. I’ll be going to Egypt. Most likely. That’s where everybody is gathered right now, and we appreciate that very much, but I’ll be making the rounds as the expression goes," Trump said.
A senior White House official added that the president is expected to publish a post on Truth Social soon.
Meanwhile, sources within the Palestinian Resistance movement said that Hamas has agreed to the draft peace deal with Israel.
Al Mayadeen reported that the signing would take place that day, Thursday, in Egypt.
According to Sky News Arabia, the agreement envisions a full ceasefire, a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army from 70% of the Gaza Strip, and the simultaneous release of prisoners and hostages from both sides.
Al-Hadath reported that Hamas and Israel are expected to sign the ceasefire agreement at 12:00 Cairo time (which corresponds to Kyiv time).
Reuters added that the Hamas leader in Gaza and the head of Egyptian intelligence are currently meeting to finalize the peace deal.
Trump's Gaza peace plan
In late September, Donald Trump unveiled his own plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip.
The 20-point document calls for a phased withdrawal of troops from the enclave, the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas, and the launch of a new round of negotiations between the parties.
On October 4, at the request of the US president, Israel suspended its offensive on Gaza City and agreed to an initial troop separation inside the enclave.
On October 7, indirect talks between Israel and Hamas began in Egypt, focusing on hostage releases and ceasefire terms.
A day later, on October 8, Hamas confirmed that lists of prisoners and hostages had been exchanged between the sides.
