THIS is the remarkable moment Donald Trump informs families their loved-ones, being held hostage by Hamas, are “coming home”.
Footage shows families jubilantly thanking the US President as he announced Hamas and Israel had agreed to the first phase of the peace deal.
XThe incredible moment families are told the hostages are coming home[/caption]
XIsraeli Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and the families celebrate[/caption]
XThe group embrace after the phone call with Donald Trump[/caption]
The 20-point Trump plan, long dismissed as wishful thinking, now appears to be edging toward reality.
It calls for a Gaza ceasefire, the release of all hostages, Israeli troop withdrawal and Hamas disarmament and exclusion from future governance.
Video shows the heartfelt moment the US President tells families hostages are “returning Monday” as they huddle around a phone.
Holding up the device, Israeli Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick asked the families: “You have the best crowd in the world, what do you have to say to President Trump?”
He then bursts into a smile as the group are delivered the happy news.
What we know so far…
Trump announced a historic agreement was reached towards ending the war in Gaza
Sir Keir Starmer said it was a ‘moment of profound relief’
Celebrations erupted on the streets of Israel and Gaza after the deal was announced
Israeli government will convene today to formally approve the peace plan
IDF is expected to withdraw its soldiers in less than 24 hours
Hamas is expected to begin releasing all hostages over the weekend
Follow The Sun’s Israel-Gaza live blog for all the latest updates
Through cheers, the families thank the US President for his leading role in brokering the deal.
One family member exclaimed: “You did it”.
Another said: “Mr. President, we believe in you. We know you’ve done so much for us since you became the president and even before that and we trust you’ll fulfill the mission until every hostage, every 48 of them, are home.”
Repeating the President’s own line, he added: “Blessed be the peacemakers.”
Trump then replied: “Thank you very much, you just take care of yourselves.
“The hostages will come back, they’re all coming back on Monday.
‘Thank you very much everybody. Okay, have fun, so long, goodbye.”
The historic breakthrough peace deal between Israel and Hamas was characteristically announced last night on the US President’s Truth Social platform.
Trump – who is vying for the Nobel Peace price later this week – said 20 living hostages and the bodies of 28 more remaining in the Hamas terror stronghold should be returned by Monday.
And the bloodbath war in Gaza claimed to have killed 67,000 Palestinians since the October 7 attacks will finally end.
Trump said: “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan.”
He added the guns would fall silent “very soon” as Israeli troops begin withdrawing, taking the first steps to a “strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”
On Truth social, he hailed a “GREAT day” for the region and the world.
Trump’s 20-point peace plan in full
1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone
2. Gaza will be redeveloped
3. The war will immediately end
4. Within 72 hours, all hostages will be returned
5. Israel will release 250 dangerous prisoners plus 1700 Gazans detained after Oct 7th
6. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage
7. Full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip
8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference
9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee
10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created
11. A special economic zone will be established
12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza
13. Hamas agrees to not have any role in the governance of Gaza
14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas comply with obligations
15. The US will work to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza
16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza
17. If Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, Israel can proceed with invasion
18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established
19. Credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood can begin
20. The US will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians for peaceful and prosperous co-existence
In the post, he added the agreement would lead to the release of all hostages “very soon” and a withdrawal of Israeli troops “to an agreed-upon line” as the first steps toward what he called a “Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump wrote.
“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.
“BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the announcement, saying: “With God’s help, we will bring them all home.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio whispers to say a deal has been reached between Israel and HamasAP
Donald Trump announced Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of the dealSplash
XLutnick on the phone to the US President[/caption]
Natali Zangauker and Einav Zangauker, the sister and mother of Israeli hostage Matan ZangaukerReuters
“I thank the heroic soldiers of the IDF and all the security forces, thanks to whose courage and sacrifice we have reached this day,” he said.
“I thank from the depths of my heart President Trump and his team for their mobilisation for this sacred mission of releasing our hostages.
“With the help of the Almighty, together we will continue to achieve all our goals and expand peace with our neighbours.”
Hamas also issued a statement after agreeing to the deal, saying it accepted the proposal “with the aim of reaching an end to the war of extermination against our Palestinian people and the occupation’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.”
The terror group added: “We highly appreciate the efforts of our mediating brothers in Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey.
“We also value the efforts of US President Donald Trump, who seek to bring about a definitive end to the war and a complete withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip.”
What’s next?
The Israeli government will convene today at 2pm Jerusalem Time (12pm BST) to vote on the Gaza agreement.
If the plan is approved formally, the ceasefire will be effected immediately and Israeli troops will withdraw from the current frontlines to the agreed-upon lines – still inside Gaza.
The IDF is expected to withdraw its soldiers in less than 24 hours.
Once that is complete, the 72-hour clock begins for Hamas to release the hostages, which officials say will start on Monday or earlier.
Meanwhile, Israel will allow 400 aid trucks to enter Gaza daily during the first five days, a senior Palestinian official has told the BBC.
The warring factions are yet to sign off on the peace deal in full but top diplomats involved in the mediation process say they are confident that a breakthrough is within reach.
The Qatari leadership said last night’s agreement will “lead to an end to the war”.
‘Meaningful progress’
Hamas called on Trump and other nations to “compel the occupation government to fully implement the agreement’s requirements and not allow it to evade or delay the implementation of what has been agreed upon.”
Families of those still held in Gaza also hailed the announcement as a “historic breakthrough”.
“The Hostages Families Forum welcomes the signing of this agreement, designed to bring all the hostages home — the living for rehabilitation with their families, and the deceased for proper burial in their homeland,” the group said.
“This represents important and meaningful progress toward bringing everyone home, but our struggle is not over and will not end until the last hostage returns.”
The devastating war between Israel and Hamas
By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter
While the conflict between Israel and Palestine dates back decades, the current fighting erupted two years ago when Hamas fanatics attacked Israel in a massive terror attack.
On October 7, 2023, Islamists terrorists stormed the border between Gaza and Israel, slaughtering over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping 250 civilians.
Since then, Israel has almost completely destroyed the strip in an effort to eradicate the group and bring home its trapped people.
Tel Aviv’s retaliatory assault and siege on Gaza created a devastating humanitarian crisis, perpetuating a brutal cycle of attack and counter-attack.
Amid international cries for peace, Israeli PM Netanyahu vowed not to stop until Hamas is destroyed.
His goal to deradicalise Gaza – and the terror group’s existential struggle – created a political and military stalemate in the narrow strip.
The sheer scale of destruction and hardening of positions made it difficult for diplomats to adopt a political solution.
However, with Donald Trump’s proposed 20-point peace plan for Gaza, an end to the bloody war looks near.
They thanked Trump and his team “for the leadership and determination that led to this historic breakthrough: an end to the war and a comprehensive agreement to return all the hostages,” and urged the Israeli government to approve the deal without delay.
“There are 48 hostages held by Hamas. Our moral and national obligation is to bring them all home — both the living and the deceased,” they said.
“Their return is essential to the healing and recovery of Israeli society as a whole. We will not rest until the last hostage comes home.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters said they welcomed the news “with a mix of excitement, anticipation, and concern.”
Historic turning point
The deal marks a historic turning point in the two-year war on Gaza that has killed around 67,000 Palestinians and devastated the enclave.
The signing follows days of marathon negotiations in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, where US, Israeli, Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators hammered out the final details, diplomats said.
It also sees the creation of a Trump-led international body to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and transition to new Palestinian administration.
Arab states backing the plan insist it must lead to an independent Palestinian state — something Benjamin Netanyahu flatly rejects.
Hamas, for its part, says it would surrender control of Gaza only to a technocratic Palestinian government under the Palestinian Authority, supported by Arab and Muslim nations — and rejects any foreign role, including Blair’s.
Trump earlier indicated he’s poised to travel to the Middle East in the coming days.
Hostage Matan Zangauker’s mum Einav ZangaukerAP
Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held by HamasAP
People celebrate in Tel Aviv holding US and Israeli flagsReuters
The president said negotiations were “going very well” — and hinted he could fly out this weekend.
“I may go there,” he told reporters earlier on Wednesday at the White House, suggesting a trip on Sunday — “perhaps Saturday evening” — as he described talks as “very close.”
“It’s something I think that will happen, got a good chance of happening,” he said at the start of the White House event after he was briefed by his team in Egypt.
While Trump struck a triumphant note before the announcement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had offered a cooler assessment.
“Events are moving in a good direction, but there’s still some work to be done,” Rubio told reporters.
“We’ve been here before in the past and been disappointed.”
Rubio was earlier seen handing Trump a letter regarding the Gaza-Israel deal during the White House presser.
Close-up pictures of the note revealed the message: “Very close. We need you to approve a Truth social post soon so you can announce deal first.”
The stakes in Gaza
The war that erupted after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 cross-border attack has left Gaza in ruins.
More than 67,000 people have been killed, according to Gaza authorities.
Israel says 1,200 were killed and 251 taken hostage in the Hamas assault.
And only 20 of the 48 remaining captives are believed to be alive.
Israeli forces, at Trump’s urging, have scaled back operations in Gaza but not halted them entirely.
Gaza’s health officials reported eight people killed in Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours — the lowest toll in weeks.
“We hope from God that a ceasefire would take place as soon as possible, because people can’t bear the suffering anymore,” said Jehad al-Shagnobi, whose home was destroyed in Gaza City’s Sabra district.
Natali Zangauker and Einav Zangauker, the sister and mum of Israeli hostage Matan ZangaukerReuters
More celebrations in Tel Aviv after the historic announcementAP
XFamilies gathered around the device to hear the happy news[/caption]