Trump Announces Israel-Hamas Peace Agreement
On Wednesday afternoon, former President Donald Trump shared news on Truth Social indicating that a peace agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas. This announcement comes around the two-year mark of the October 7 attacks.
“This means that all hostages will be released immediately and that Israel will withdraw its forces to agreed front lines as a first step toward a strong, lasting, and everlasting peace,” he wrote. “All parties will be treated fairly!”
Governor Kay Ivey of Alabama reposted Trump’s announcement with a brief note of gratitude, saying, “Blessed are the peacemakers!”
The independent news site Drop Site confirmed through sources within the Palestinian negotiating team, including Hamas officials, that an agreement has indeed been made. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also released a statement on Wednesday, calling the deal a “diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the state of Israel.”
Alabama Senators Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt both expressed their appreciation for Trump’s efforts shortly after the announcement. Tuberville remarked that Trump “deserves the Nobel Peace Prize,” while Britt referred to him as a “president of peace,” viewing the agreement as a “great first step toward ending this conflict.” In recent months, Trump has repeatedly asserted his candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in ending seven “endless wars.”
Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Alabama) also celebrated the agreement and expressed gratitude to the President for his involvement in the negotiations. Aderholt stated, “This is great news and I pray that it will come true and that there will be peace after two years of war. Thank you President Trump for making ending wars around the world a priority of his administration.”
According to a report from the Financial Times on Wednesday night, it is expected that Israeli hostages held in Gaza will be released roughly 72 hours after the Israeli government approves the deal, according to individuals involved in the negotiations.
As part of the agreement, Israel will also release thousands of Palestinian prisoners, provide additional aid to the occupied territories, and initiate troop withdrawal.
Over the past two years, Israel has faced substantial criticism for its actions during the conflict, especially the restrictions imposed on food and medical aid entering Gaza.
In September, a United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry determined that the Israeli state was committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Notably, Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have arrest warrants pending from the International Criminal Court.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, Hamas has reportedly killed around 1,200 people and taken 251 hostages. The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that over 67,000 Palestinians have died, and leaks from the Israeli military suggest that a significant percentage of those casualties were civilians. Independent experts have indicated that these health ministry figures are likely to be underreported.
The newly announced deal marks the third ceasefire attempt in a two-year-long conflict; a previous ceasefire exchanged Palestinian prisoners for hostages captured by Hamas but quickly fell apart.
