The chief negotiator of Hamas, Khalil al-Hayya, confirmed that an agreement has been reached with Israel and that the war in the Gaza Strip has come to an end, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to Reuters and Al Jazeera. According to al-Hayya, Israel will release all Palestinian women and children detained since the beginning of the military operation — a total of 1,700 people — as well as 250 Palestinians serving life sentences in Israeli prisons.
The agreement also includes the opening of the Rafah crossing on the southern border of the Gaza Strip for movement in both directions. “We received assurances from our brotherly mediators and the U.S. administration that the war is fully over,” Khalil al-Hayya stated.
U.S. President Donald Trump, during a cabinet meeting, also announced the end of hostilities in the Gaza Strip. He said that Israeli hostages are expected to be released between October 9 and 10. “We will create conditions where people can live. Currently, living in the Gaza Strip is impossible,” Trump said regarding the future of the Palestinian enclave.
At the same time, Trump noted that there is currently “no definitive position” on the creation of two states — Israeli and Palestinian — as outlined in the UN resolution. “I will adhere to what they agree upon,” he explained. Trump also announced plans to visit the Middle East, including attending the signing ceremony of the peace agreement in Egypt. According to the Israeli presidential administration, Trump may also visit Jerusalem on Sunday, October 12, where he has agreed to address the Israeli parliament.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for awarding Trump the Nobel Peace Prize for facilitating the end of the conflict. Meanwhile, as Reuters notes, Israel’s far-right government members criticize the agreement with Hamas. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged the destruction of Hamas after the hostages are returned, while Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, threatened to dissolve the government if Hamas “continues to exist in another form.”
Earlier we wrote that Israel and Hamas sign first stage of Gaza peace deal brokered by Trump.
