Hope surges across Israel as reports confirm a U.S.-brokered ceasefire and full hostage release deal — with President Trump expected to announce the agreement from Washington.
In scenes filled with emotion and relief, newly released photos from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, show Israeli, American, and Qatari delegates embracing and shaking hands — signaling what officials are calling the final breakthrough in the long and agonizing war against Hamas.
According to multiple regional outlets, including Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hadath, Hamas and Israel are set to sign the ceasefire agreement on Thursday at 12:00 noon, ending two years of bloodshed, heartbreak, and uncertainty.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who confirmed the reports late Wednesday night, declared:
“With God’s help, we will bring them all home.”
Senior Israeli officials told reporters that the formal signing would take place later today, with the first group of hostages expected to be released by the weekend.
A senior U.S. official told Channel 12’s Barak Ravid:
“The war in Gaza is over. The hostages will begin returning 72 hours after the Israeli Cabinet ratifies the deal.”
That ratification is expected no later than Monday, marking the moment when 48 Israeli hostages and one female captive will finally be reunited with their families.
An Egyptian source close to the negotiations revealed to Sky News Arabia that the deal includes:
- A complete ceasefire across the Gaza Strip
- A phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from 70% of the enclave
- The simultaneous release of hostages and prisoners from both sides
A Palestinian Arab source confirmed to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that “all disputed points have been resolved” in the Sharm el-Sheikh talks, adding that President Donald Trump — whose envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff spearheaded the U.S. delegation — “will announce the agreement soon.”
For families of the hostages, the reports have ignited cautious hope after two years of anguish. Ditza Or, the mother of captive Avinatan Or, posted a verse from Isaiah 52:7:
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation.”
Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal captured the national mood in a single post:
“Israelis can’t sleep tonight. They wait, breath held, for the end of a nightmare that began two years ago — and for the agreement that will bring them home.”
As dawn approaches over Sharm el-Sheikh, the world holds its breath. After two years of war, pain, and defiance, Israel stands at the threshold of redemption — and history.
