Soon after Secretary of State Marco Rubio passed him an urgent note at a White House event saying negotiators in Egypt were "very close" to a Gaza peace deal, President Trump announced that a breakthrough had been made.
- "I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "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," Trump wrote. "BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!"
Photos show that the note Rubio passed to Trump asked him to "approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first," the New York Times reports. Earlier Wednesday, a senior Hamas official told the Washington Post that a deal was imminent. "First, there will be a halt to the war, then a prisoners exchange, followed by the withdrawal of forces," the official said. "After that, the crossing will be opened in both directions, and humanitarian aid will be allowed to enter."
- Trump released his 20-point peace plan last week. It called for an immediate end to the war and the release of all remaining Israeli hostages. In a post on social media after Trump's announcement Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "With God's help we will bring them all home," the AP reports.
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