Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire deal that's intended to end to the devastating Gaza war which unleashed the deadliest fighting ever between Israelis and Palestinians. President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Israel and Hamas "have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan."
As outlined by Trump last week, other key elements of the deal call for Hamas to disarm and give up a future role in governing Gaza, the seaside territory devastated by two years of fighting.
Israel is expected to keep some troops in Gaza for now but would eventually remove them as the ceasefire solidifies and peace takes hold.
The precise details of these key provisions were not immediately clear.
Background: The war began with a surprise attack by Hamas on southern Israel in the early morning of Oct. 7, 2023. Nearly 1,200 people were killed, mostly Israeli civilians, including many attending a weekend music festival. This was the worst one-day attack on Israel since the country's founding in 1948.
Israel unleased a ferocious response that has claimed the lives of more then 67,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Israel's sustained bombing campaign and relentless ground force offensives have leveled most of Gaza's homes, schools, hospitals and businesses. Israel has limited aid to Gaza throughout the conflict, leading to desperate shortages of food and medicine.
What's next? It is not clear when the ceasefire is due to take effect. And while an end of the war may now be within reach, there's no clear roadmap to resolve the question of Palestinian political rights.