Wayne Lumbasi
Israel’s government has approved a United States brokered ceasefire resolution with Hamas, marking a major breakthrough in efforts to end the prolonged Gaza war.
The deal, which is based on President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace proposal, calls for an immediate halt to fighting within twenty four hours and the release of all remaining forty eight Israeli hostages, including about twenty believed to be alive, within seventy two hours once Israeli forces withdraw from key areas of Gaza.
Israel will release around one thousand seven hundred Palestinian detainees held since 2023 and two hundred and fifty prisoners serving life sentences. The agreement also allows for international monitoring and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, where millions are facing severe shortages of food, medicine, and shelter.
President Trump, who played a central role in brokering the deal, announced the breakthrough on his social media platform, calling it “the first real step toward lasting peace.”
Shortly afterward, the Speaker of Israel’s parliament, Amir Ohana, invited Trump to address the Knesset in recognition of what he described as Trump’s “historic contribution to peace and his friendship with the Jewish people.” If accepted, it would mark the first time in nearly twenty years that a United States leader addresses the Israeli parliament.
The announcement has stirred strong emotions across the region. In Israel, families of hostages gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square in tears of relief, praying that their loved ones would finally return home. In Gaza, exhausted residents expressed hope that the ceasefire will bring temporary calm and open routes for much needed aid.
International leaders and humanitarian agencies welcomed the move as a vital step toward peace but cautioned that the agreement remains fragile. For now, it offers a moment of hope in a region weary of endless war.
PREVIOUSLY REPORTED
CEASEFIRE BRINGS HOPE AS ISRAEL AND HAMAS EXCHANGE HOSTAGES, PRISONERS
ISRAEL & HAMAS AGREE TO HISTORIC CEASEFIRE, OFFERING HOPE TO GAZA
