Hamas has declared that the newly signed ceasefire agreement with Israel represents a “permanent end” to the Gaza war, following assurances from the United States and regional mediators.
The head of Hamas’s negotiating team, Khalil al-Hayya, said on Thursday that the group had been given firm guarantees.
“We have received assurances from the brotherly mediators and the US administration, who have confirmed that the war is completely over,” Al-Hayya said.
His remarks came hours after both Hamas and Israel signed the first phase of a truce deal proposed by US President, Donald Trump.
Under the agreement, Hamas is expected to release 20 living hostages within 72 hours of the ceasefire taking effect. In exchange, Israel will free 250 Palestinians serving long prison terms and another 1,700 arrested since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, according to Al-Hayya.
The truce is the first step in a wider 20-point peace plan presented by the Trump administration. However, not all issues have been settled, particularly the question of Gaza’s long-term governance.
Despite talk of a ceasefire, reports emerged that an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential building in central Gaza City less than an hour before Al-Hayya’s statement.
Israel’s security cabinet earlier convened to deliberate on the proposal, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government expected to vote on its full adoption.
Announcing the agreement in Washington, Trump said the release of hostages could happen by early next week. He also disclosed plans to travel to the region to “mark the moment” once the truce takes effect.
But in an interview with Qatar’s Al-Araby TV, senior Hamas official, Osama Hamdan, stressed that a formal statement declaring the war over must precede any hostage release.
© 2025 Naijaonpoint, a division of NOP Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]