Trump says Israel and Hamas agree to first phase of peace plan, hostages to be released and Israeli troops to withdraw

Donald Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity that the Middle East has “come together,” adding that people will now be “taken care of” and that the situation marks “a different world.” He said Gaza would become a safer place, with reconstruction supported by neighboring countries that have significant wealth and want to see progress. Trump said he was confident there would be peace in the region.

He explained that after the first phase of the peace plan, Gaza would be rebuilt and people would begin getting along. He described it as a turning point that would bring major investment into Gaza, calling it a “different world” with resources directed to rebuilding efforts.

On Iran, Trump said the country was perhaps a month away from obtaining nuclear weapons, which he argued would have threatened the deal. “If I allowed that to happen, this deal would not have been possible,” he said, adding that it would have cast a “tremendous cloud” over the agreement. He claimed Iran had effectively “blessed the deal” and predicted it would play a role in the peace process.

Trump also credited his team, including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance, saying “the whole world came together around this deal.” He said many countries had sent their best wishes and described the outcome as “peace in the Middle East.” He called it a great achievement for Israel, for Muslims, and for Arab nations, adding that luck had also played a role in making it possible.