By Desmond Nleya
20 hostages to be freed in exchange for 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as optimism grows over end to war
US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of a peace framework, setting the stage for the release of all hostages held in Gaza.
According to a Hamas source cited by AFP, the militant group will release 20 living hostages in exchange for 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The move is part of an initial agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza, which has raged for two years.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the deal as a “diplomatic success and a national and moral victory,” while Hamas described it as a step toward “ending the war on Gaza, the occupation’s withdrawal, the entry of aid, and a prisoner exchange.”
The announcement coincided with the second anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which left 1,200 people dead and over 250 taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has since killed more than 67,000 people in Gaza, the majority women and children.
Although hailed as a breakthrough, major issues remain unresolved. Trump’s plan did not address Hamas’s disarmament or the question of who will govern Gaza after the conflict ends, CNN reported.
Trump said the US will support postwar reconstruction and help maintain stability in Gaza. “We’ll be involved in helping them make it successful and keeping it peaceful,” he told Fox News, expressing confidence that “there’ll be peace in the Middle East.”
The Israeli military welcomed the agreement and announced preparations to receive the released hostages. “The Chief of Staff instructed to be prepared to lead the upcoming operation to return the abductees with sensitivity and professionalism,” the IDF said on X.
Trump added that he believes all hostages, including the bodies of those deceased, will return on Monday. “So much is happening to get the hostages freed, and we think they’ll all be coming back on Monday,” he said during a phone interview on Fox News.
The peace initiative is part of a broader 20-point plan announced by Trump to end the war and address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
