New Delhi: US president Donald Trump has announced that Israel and the Palestinian organisation Hamas have signed off on phase one of his Gaza ‘peace’ plan.“This means that all of the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps towards a strong, durable and everlasting peace,” Trump said in the announcement on his social media app Truth Social.“We thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!” he posted.Various news outlets are reporting that the deal will officially be signed in Egypt today.Disbelief and cautious celebration has marked the announcement in Gaza. “Honestly, when I heard the news, I couldn’t hold back. Tears of joy flowed. Two years of bombing, terror, destruction, loss, humiliation, and the constant feeling that we could die at any moment,” Samer Joudeh told the AFP news agency from Gaza.As many as 20,179 Gaza children were killed, over 12 lakh are deprived of food, while 58,554 have been orphaned, according to data released by the Ministry of Health in Gaza, on October 7, 2025.Prime minister Narendra Modi has been among global leaders to welcome the agreement. In a post on X, Modi also said that this is “also a reflection of the strong leadership of PM Netanyahu.”“We hope the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza will bring respite to them and pave the way for lasting peace,” Modi added.Earlier this year, more than three-quarters of UN member states backed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages by Hamas, and unimpeded humanitarian access – but India abstained, arguing that durable peace can only emerge through direct negotiations.UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres commended the “diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye in brokering this desperately needed breakthrough.”“I urge all concerned to abide fully by the terms of the agreement. All hostages must be released in a dignified manner. A permanent ceasefire must be secured. The fighting must stop once & for all. Immediate & unimpeded entry of humanitarian supplies & essential commercial materials into Gaza must be ensured. The suffering must end,” he said.Guterres added that the UN will support the full implementation of the agreement and will scale up the delivery of sustained and principled humanitarian relief, and we will advance recovery and reconstruction efforts in Gaza.